


Subaru Juukulius: The Greatest Junior Knight

by supertone4671



Category: Re:ゼロから始める異世界生活 | Re:Zero Starting Life in Another World (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-19
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-17 11:35:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 58,841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28848423
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/supertone4671/pseuds/supertone4671
Summary: This is the story of a boy who gets summoned to another world...2 years too early? Subaru runs into everyone's favorite purple man and they become best friends very quickly. With a 2 year head start, can Subaru find new ways to overcome his challenges? Or maybe his challenges will change entirely due to his knowledge and experience...
Relationships: Emilia/Natsuki Subaru
Comments: 23
Kudos: 244





	1. Prologue: Subaru Natsuki, the 15 year old who gave up

Prologue: Subaru Natsuki, the 15 year old who gave up

After having not attended school for two weeks, Subaru decided he wasn't going to lie to his parents anymore. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he knew that even if no one else loved him, they did. He wasn't sick, or possessed by a demon, or even suffering from brain cramps. He just didn't want to go anymore. No one would be his friend, he wasn't good enough at sports, and he had almost no musical talents. The classes hardly taught anything beyond memorizing and regurgitating information. Only two classes had managed to ever capture his full attention: biology, and physical science. He was truly proud to have made high B's in those classes.

"We really can't convince you to keep attending, can we?" His father's voice was certainly a bit disappointed, but it seemed that he wasn't about to give up on Subaru yet. "Alright, let's make a deal. I won't make you attend, but you have to go with me in the morning to exercise, and the two of us will sign up for some physical activities in the evenings. Also, I still want you to at least learn about stuff that interests you while I'm at work. I remember how excited you were about taxonomy and evolution, so maybe you could start with that. Deal?" A big, goofy smile adorned the face of Kenichi Natsuki, and Subaru couldn't help but to smirk at it.

"Alright, deal." Subaru gave his dad a thumbs up.

Three months after that conversation, Subaru woke up at 0630, feeling refreshed from a good night's sleep. Without the stresses of school, Subaru began to realize how much better he felt. He put on his favorite track suit, and went downstairs to eat a light pre-workout breakfast with his dad. The two weirdos were trying to have a conversation while loudly chewing, earning the ire of Naoko, Subaru's mother. She was lax about many things, but found talking while eating to be utterly disrespectful. After terrifying them with her evil eye, she smirked and sat down to join them.

"So, Subaru, how was your workout today? Make any gains? Or maybe, did you notice any girls staring at you while you lifted?" Naoko winked.

"M-Mom, don't joke like that!" Subaru turned bright red, while his mother giggled.

She calmed down, and asked, "How about your studies? Tell me what you've learned about, um, taksotomy, or whatever you said it was?"

Subaru giggled himself a bit before gently correcting her, "It's taxonomy, Mom. Most of what we know is derived from western science, so all living beings have names derived from Latin. For instance, the skunk is known as _Mephitus mephitus_ , which basically means "Stinky stinky" in Latin. Even scientists have a sense of humor!" Both mom and son giggled at the silly name.

"Hahaha! How about those kendo classes you and your dad go to? I was surprised you wanted to learn that. After all, who uses swords for anything nowadays?"

Subaru smiled, and said, "Well, of course no one uses swords anymore, but I thought it would be fun to learn how the samurai may have fought. I'm glad Dad agreed!"

Six months after Subaru stopped going to school, it was a week before his birthday. He would turn sixteen, and his dad already told him they were going to buy another car so that Subaru could start learning how to drive. _Knowing them, they'll probably buy a Subaru just to tease me._ Subaru smirked at his thought, and secretly hoped they'd get a WRX, but he knew deep down that they'd probably just get a used Impreza. Not that Subaru minded, he was happy enough that his parents would be teaching him to drive. Plus, they had no need for two cars, so they would let him have it when he was old enough for a full driver's license.

"Happy birthday Subaru! We got you your favorite meal: Steamed Rice!" Kenichi had the goofiest look on his face as he walked inside.

Subaru smiled, this was his parent's favorite way to celebrate his birthday. They'd make it look like they bought sushi for themselves and just rice for Subaru, but after Subaru objects, his dad would pretend to be sad, and offer the "extra" box of sushi they bought. It always contained his favorites, Spicy Tuna with mayo, and that roll that was really popular in the United States, the California roll.

"Just rice again? Boohoo!" Subaru teasingly put his hands against his eyes as if to cry.

Kenichi spoke with a mocking frown, "Come on, Subaru, rice has been your favorite since you were a kid!" He let out a fake sigh, "Well, I guess you can have this extra box we bought..." As usual, spicy tuna with mayo, and a California Roll. His dad winked, and they chowed down.

After his birthday lunch, Subaru was motioned by his dad to follow him. The two stepped outside, to find a vehicle on the curb he didn't recognize. "Well, son, we've been doing well with one car, but now your mom can help you learn how to drive during the day with this. I hope you'll enjoy...Subaru's Subaru!"

Subaru snorted at the obvious joke, and was surprised to see that it was actually a Forester, a popular larger model of car. It looked to be a couple years behind, but Subaru was elated nonetheless. "Thanks Dad! I can't wait to start learning!"

One year after his last birthday, his family went through the same song and dance. Subaru smiled fondly as he ate sushi with his mom and dad. _I hope we can keep doing this, into my twenties, maybe until I find a girlfriend!_

"Subaru, are you daydreaming about getting a girlfriend again?" Naoko smirked as she teased Subaru.

" **I love you. I love you so much, Subaru...I could never love anyone as much as I love you, Subaru...My Subaru…** "

It was 0430, six months after turning seventeen. Subaru woke up in a cold sweat, and the last thing he heard were those words. Had he dreamt that? _What kind of nightmare was that? I mean, as much as I want a girl to tell me she loves me, there was just something...not right about her voice...It's like, either she was possessed, or...tried to possess me_? Subaru tried to get it out of his head. He decided to wake up and do some stretches. Not like he could get back to sleep after that. These radio calisthenics he picked up three months ago were really starting to make him feel limber.


	2. Subaru Natsuki and the Greatest Knight of Lugnica

Subaru had woken up early every day, for 2 weeks in a row. The same way, every time. After 2 days, he began going to sleep a little earlier just in case. He was glad he had some foresight, at least. 

_I love you, I love you...who is she, and why does she love me? Ugh, it’s chilling...I wonder if I should talk to a shrink?_ Subaru shook his head and did his stretches. 

Not long after, his dad knocked on the door. “Subaru? Awake early again?” He entered, and saw Subaru touching his toes.

“Hey Dad, yeah, had a nightmare again. I’m ok, I just can’t get back to sleep.” Subaru finished and turned back around to see his concerned dad. 

“Subaru, are you sure you’re alright? It’s been two weeks, no one should be waking up early 2 weeks in a row from nightmares. Want me to schedule a doctor’s visit?” 

That evening, Subaru went out to get some ramen at the convenience store. 

_Maybe I’ll pick up some light novels, too. I’ve really enjoyed Konosuba and Cautious Hero. One of the guys in the kendo class said they’ve read this one called Re:Zero, a psychological thriller about a guy named Pleiades, who gets sent to another world and dies over and over, using his deaths to overcome his obstacles. I’m not much into that sort of thing though_ , Subaru thought. 

_I wonder what would happen if I got isekai’d? I just hope it’s not Truck-kun that gets me. And if I appear before a goddess like that guy in Konosuba, I’ll ask for a stupidly overpowered sword like that Kyuoya guy did!_ Subaru chuckled at his superior mind. He picked up some cup noodles, corn potage, and also a snack his mom liked, wasabi-flavored corn chips. 

“That’ll be 1163 yen, please.” 

Subaru paid up and left. _Man, these chips are expensive. At least mom will pay me back._ Suddenly, as he walked outside, he felt dizzy. Really dizzy. He thought he saw a truck coming, but it veered off to the side…and when Subaru opened his eyes again, he quickly realized he was no longer in his neighborhood.

Subaru looked around. Instead of a mix of brick, plastic siding and steel, he saw wood, plaster, cobblestone paths, and… _Wait, are those dragons pulling carriages???_

Subaru was astonished. There was no doubt in his mind...he had been transported to another world! 

“This is crazy! Where am I? I need to find out if I know anything about this world. What if this is a world similar to one I’ve read about? I’d have such an advantage!” 

Subaru realized he’d just said all that out loud, and a few denizens of the world near him gave him strange looks, like he was a madman. Subaru turned a bit red, closed his mouth and walked off. _Well, that was awkward. They’ll probably just think I’m a weirdo and ignore it. Chances are they didn’t even understand what I said._

Subaru walked around a corner, and immediately bumped into someone. “Ah! I’m so sorry, please don’t…” He looked up, to see a tall man with incredible purple hair, and an epic outfit. 

“No no, it’s quite alright. I can tell you didn’t intend to hurt me. Are you alright?” asked the purple-haired man. 

Subaru looked up in awe. “I-I’m a little lost, actually. I’m not sure where I am, but I don’t know how to explain it…” He realized that probably sounded super suspicious. 

The tall man responded, “Ah, well, you’ve found the right person. You see, I am Sir Julius Juukulius, and I am a knight. It is my pleasure to make your acquaintance.”

After exchanging pleasantries with the knight Sir Julius, Subaru decided it would probably be safe to be at least a little honest. “Sir Julius? Could I ask for your help?” 

“I appreciate your politeness, but Julius would be fine, Subaru. And yes, how can I help you?” 

Subaru thought for a moment, and said, “I’m not from here, so I don’t know anything about where I am. Naturally, I also don’t have a home or family or anything around here. Can you help me get my bearings for a little while?” 

Julius gave a genuine smile, and said, “I’d be delighted to help you, Subaru. It’s not often people end up here with no idea how they got here. You don’t seem like a liar, so I believe you. My home is not far from here, so how about I bring you there for a while so you can relax and learn about where you are? As it happens, I am not on duty today, so I can afford to spend some time with you. By the way, have you eaten recently?” 

Julius took Subaru to a nearby food stall. Subaru looked up to see that he couldn’t read the sign, as it didn’t resemble Japanese in the slightest. _Thank goodness it sounds like Japanese, I guess when you get isekai’d you always end up in a world where you can understand everyone else. But aren’t you supposed to get a power of some kind? I’ll see if I can get Julius to help me figure it out later._

The stall vendor greeted Julius, and asked what he’d like. “Subaru, would you like something? This stall is known for their meat kebabs, and I like coming here when I’m on patrol.” 

Subaru had a kebab once several years ago at a foreign market, and remembered it being pretty good. 

“Yeah, sure! I don’t know if my money is accepted here, though…” Subaru pulled out his wallet to reveal some yen bills, and a pouch with yen coins. 

“Hmm...well, no matter. Don’t worry, Subaru, this time is on me! My good fellow, I’ll take a beouf and appa kebab, and another for my new friend.” The vendor smiles and takes the copper-looking coins from Julius, and hands two kebabs over. 

“Live strong, sir knight!” 

Subaru enjoyed the hearty kebab. He had no idea what words Julius used, but it was roasted beef and lightly sauteed apples, making a very refreshing combo. He was glad the food was at least very similar to what was in Japan. 

“Hey, thank you Julius. I don’t know how I’m going to repay you for the meal.” 

Julius smiled and shook his head, “Oh, nonsense. I told you, I’m a knight. Well, specifically, I’m a Royal Knight. My salary is sufficient enough that I could buy you several kebabs every day and be fine.”

Julius led Subaru past an ornate gate blocking off a small manor. He took another look at Subaru's odd clothes, and asked, “Say, Subaru, are you from a noble background?” 

Subaru looked at Julius like he had two heads. “Noble background? Of course not! My parents were middle class. We lived comfortably, but we weren’t rich by any means. Why do you ask?” 

Julius looked down for a moment, before responding, “Well, it’s clear that you aren’t a manual laborer, and you’re very well spoken, so it’s clear you’re educated as well. Also, middle class? I’ve never heard of the middle class. Perhaps it’s unique to where you come from?” 

Subaru was stunned. He realized, the economy in this new world is much different from his old one. 

“Well, um, is there maybe a merchant class? Or something above working? That’s probably close to how I lived. As I said, not rich, but comfortable. My dad worked for a large corporation.” 

Julius pondered, and said, “Yes, sounds sort of like the merchant class. Some of the richer merchants could certainly afford to educate their children.” 

After walking for about 25 minutes, they arrived at a gate. Behind the gate was a large campus filled with several 3-4 story tall buildings, connected by covered walkways flowing through a beautiful courtyard. Purple dominated the colorful patterned roof.

“Well, here we are, Subaru. This is my family home.” 

Subaru felt his jaw drop, possibly to the floor, at the sheer size of Julius’ manor. 

“Julius? You live in a mansion???” 

Julius smirked, “Yes, Subaru. I apologize, I never meant to mislead you. My family is noble, and most of us can afford to simply sit idle and collect taxes. I wanted to do something good for my country, though. Hence, I became a knight.” 

Julius smiled proudly at his explanation, and Subaru, while still stunned, smiled a little, knowing that Julius was probably a man of good ethics and nature, to be able to do anything, or nothing, but chose to serve.

“Welcome back home, Sir Julius. Have you brought a guest with you?” 

Two maids and a butler bowed before Julius, who responded, “Yes, please prepare a guest room. He will likely stay at least for the night. He is a friend of mine.” 

The three servants bowed in acknowledgement, and returned inside the multiple-story manor. Subaru felt it resembled a large hotel in Tokyo, rather than a place where a family lived. 

  
“A guest room? Really? You’ve only just met me, but you’ll offer to let me stay here for a night?” Julius smiled again, “Of course, Subaru. You can stay for longer than a night, even. I did say _at least_ a night.”


	3. From Unknown to Barely Known

Subaru and Julius went to a small parlor off the grand hall of the manor to talk. Julius told Subaru everything pertinent about the Kingdom, including the fact that a plague was currently affecting the royal family. 

“I know it seems suspicious, Subaru, and the Royal Knights agree. However, we can’t find evidence of outside influence, no poisons, and no curses, either. The best healers in the land are attending to them, and nothing seems to aid them. Morale has never been lower among the Knights, I’m afraid. The unknown assails the family we are sworn to protect, but a sword cannot cut down a plague.” Julius sighed as he looked at the floor. 

“That’s terrible. I wish I knew anything that could help you, but I don’t know anything about medicine or healing.” 

Julius looked up, and gave a slight smile. “I could never ask a newcomer to press themselves into aiding us. I appreciate your thoughts, though.”

Julius spent around 2 hours explaining most of the basic information about Lugnica and its surroundings. Various lords controlled land throughout the kingdom, and each lord had several nobles underneath them to aid as administrators. Julius’ family, in fact, were considered nobles underneath the King of Lugnica, controlling some of the lands outside the capital. Among the noble houses of the capital, the Juuklulius family also had small ties to two other houses, the Karsten House and the Astrea House. 

“You see, Subaru, I am friends with Reinhard Van Astrea, also known as the Sword Saint. Reinhard is the heir apparent to the Astrea lands, and considered the strongest knight among the Royal Knights. In the Karsten household, I’m friends with a knight named Felix Argyle, and we have occasional dealing with their duchess, Crusch Karsten. I’ll invite my two friends over sometime to meet you.”

Subaru listened intently the entire time Julius explained, and after being told of his friends, Subaru could only respond with, “That’d be great! I’ve always wanted to be friends with real knights.” 

Julius was somewhat taken aback by the statement, but gave a large smile in return. 

Subaru then thought he may have been rude, and explained, “S-Sorry, I wasn’t implying you weren’t a real knight! I just mean, where I’m from there are no knights, so I’ve never even met a real knight besides you.” 

Julius chuckled, “No offense taken, Subaru. You know, I hadn’t thought to ask, what sort of skills do you have? What sort of magical affinity do you have?” 

Subaru went wide eyed, and stammered out, “M-Magic? I’ve never even used magic, I don’t know if I’m capable!” 

Julius was astonished.  _ He’s never used magic? Does he mean he can’t, or doesn’t know how? _

“Actually, Julius, how about this: just assume that I’ve been living under a rock my whole life, and you met me minutes after I emerged. Does that explain it?” 

Julius blinked a few times, before stating, “Very well. I can only imagine why no one explained the workings of the world to you. Everyone has magical abilities, and there are two methods to use magic: You can either channel the mana yourself, or you can channel it through a spirit. I guess you don’t know if you have an affinity for spirits?” 

Subaru shook his head, “No, I have no idea.” 

Julius and Subaru stepped outside, and Julius held out his hand. 6 differently colored orbs appeared; red, blue, brown, green, black, and white. “Subaru, there are 4 primary magic elements, and 2 rare elements. Fire, water, earth, and wind are the primary elements, and the 2 rare are Yin (Shadow) and Yang (Light). The spirits here will help me determine your magical affinity, as well as your affinity for spirits.” 

Subaru waited in place and the 6 spirits floated around, swirling like a laser light show. Finally, all 6 spirits floated above his head, with the black spirit floating higher than the others. 

Julius looked astonished. “I don’t believe it, Subaru. Not only are you a Yin magic user, you also have an extraordinarily high affinity for spirits. I wouldn’t be surprised if you could form a contract with a Great Spirit!”

The awestruck Subaru was led back inside by an equally impressed Julius, having been informed Subaru’s room was ready. 

“Please come with us, we will show you to your room.” A butler with very short black hair bowed, along with a red haired maid wearing a large bun. 

Julius gestured to Subaru, “Go ahead, I’ll follow behind you.” 

Subaru entered his guest room, and was surprised by the accommodations. “Woah! Large bed, couch and sofa, and attached bathroom. I’ve never been in such a luxurious room!” 

Julius smiled at his new, easily impressed friend. “I’m glad you like it. May I sit with you for a little while here?” 

Subaru responded, “Of course! You have no idea how grateful I am for letting me stay here.” 

Julius and Subaru sat down across from each other. “So, Subaru...this is admittedly very forward of me, but is there any chance you’d be interested in becoming a knight? You have to understand, Yin magic users with high spirit affinity are incredibly rare, it’s more likely for you to find someone who has affinity for all 4 primary elements before a Yin user with high spirit affinity. You could become a Spirit Knight like myself! How about it?” 

Subaru couldn’t believe his ears. Him, become a knight just like this guy? “O-o-of course! Becoming a knight sounds like a dream come true for someone like me!” 

Julius smiled, and said, “Looks like you’ll be staying here longer than we first thought. I’ll make sure you become acquainted with the staff, as well as some of my family members. And, of course, I’ll invite my friends over as soon as they are available so they can meet you.”

A week later, Subaru was outside with a mage, being instructed in the use of his magic. 

“Since you are a Yin magic user, I can only teach you two spells until we can find a more well versed Yin user. I deeply apologize for not knowing more.” 

The mage bowed before Subaru in apology, and Subaru responded, “Oh no, please, it’s ok. Having the opportunity to learn how to use magic is rewarding enough!” 

The mage lifted his head and said, “Very good, Mister Subaru. The two spells I can teach you are called Shamac, and Minya. Shamac deadens your opponents senses, while Minya is a powerful offensive spell that uses crystallized Yin to crystalize your opponents. I should warn you, most Yin spells are similar to Shamac, used to put your opponent at a disadvantage, rather than offensive like Minya. However, used correctly, a good swordsman with Yin magic is one of the deadliest opponents in existence.” 

After a few hours of practice, Julius appeared in the courtyard with 2 visitors. He watched as Subaru struck a dummy with a Minya crystal. He also noticed that there were several crystals in the ground all surrounding the dummy, suggesting that Subaru was having a hard time aiming. He smirked a little at Subaru’s expense, but he was happy to see he was getting the hang of it. He himself could not cast Minya, despite having a contract with a Yin spirit. 

“Hey Subaru, how goes your practice?” 

Subaru turned around at Julius’ voice, and saw him along with a man with bright red hair and striking blue eyes, as well as who appeared to be a catgirl wearing a frilly skirt and full length stockings. 

“Hey Julius! I can use magic! Well, sort of, anyway...who’s with you?” Julius fakes a gasp, and says, “Oh, my, where my manners? Subaru, I’d like you to meet my friends. Please come over and introduce yourself.” 

Subaru caught up with the trio, and bowed, introducing himself. “Greetings! I’m Subaru Natsuki, and I’m Julius’ favorite knight in training!” 

Subaru grins wide at his grandiose introduction, holding his thumb up in the air. Julius couldn’t help but grin himself, and responded, “Well, he’s telling the truth, as he’s my only knight in training!” 

Subaru’s face reddened a little as Julius and his friends had a small laugh at his expense. The man with the red hair spoke first, “Well, if you’re his favorite despite that, then I know we’ll get along well, Subaru. My name is Reinhard Van Astrea, and it’s a pleasure to meet you.” 

He reached out to shake Subaru’s hand, which Subaru accepted. “It’s nice to meet you, Sir Reinhard. I hope we can become friends!”

Reinhard’s eyes widened for a moment, before a big smile appeared on his face. “Thank you Subaru, and you may call me Reinhard. I hope we can become friends too.”

The “catgirl” spoke up immediately afterward. “Nya, Rein, you big softie! All it takes is one boy to say he wants to be friends, and nyou lose all composure, nya~!” 

Reinhard’s face reddens a little, and he snickers at himself. Subaru then looks over, and says, “Nice to meet ya!” 

He reaches his hand out, and finds two hands grasping his, making Subaru’s face flush a bit. “Nyice to meet nyou, too! I’m Ferris, Julius’ favorite friend, nya!” 

Ferris brings Subaru’s hand up and pulls Subaru in close, before giving Subaru’s ear a light nibble. 

“U-U-Uwahh!” Subaru’s face turns red, as Ferris lets him go. Julius and Reinhard both start chuckling, before Julius speaks up.

“Subaru, this is Felix Argyle, Duchess Crusch’s knight. He typically goes by the name of Ferris.” Ferris smiled very cat-like, as Subaru’s face became even redder. 

“Hee hee! Julius-kyun, you’re nyoo fun…”

After Subaru calmed down, the 3 knights went with him to sit at a table in the courtyard. “I-I never imagined I’d meet a demihuman that was like a cat before. Um, Ferris, I don't mean to be rude, but is this how you typically like to dress?” 

Ferris laughed, and responded, “Why nyes, most of my outfits are like this, nya! My lady approves of my wardrobe, although I wear the syame outfit as Julius and Reinhard when I’m in my official role as a knyight!” 

Subaru looked astonished.  _ Well, it’s nice to see that the nobles of this kingdom are accommodating to...well, “unique” characters. That’s pretty tolerant compared to my old world, at least. _

Julius spoke up as Subaru was finishing his thought, “So, Ferris, how is everything at the palace?” 

Ferris took on a serious face, and said with a sad tone, “Not well, Julius-kyun. I’ve tried every spell I knyow, and nothing works. There’s nothing more depressing to healer than being unable to help, nya.”

Reinhard, listening intently, also had a sad expression. 

_ Reinhard looks really upset. I bet this has to be hard on everyone, not being able to help the royal family _ . Subaru took on a somber face, and Julius looked over at him. 

“Sorry, Subaru. I hate to bring up such a sad topic around you. It’s important that you stay informed, though, as a knight in training.” Subaru nodded intently. 

Reinhard then appeared to have an idea. “Hey, Subaru, how are you with a sword?” 

Subaru looked up in surprise, and responded, “Well, I know a little about swordplay, but compared to you or Julius I’m sure I’m a total novice.” 

Reinhard and Subaru stood across from each other with wooden practice swords. Reinhard spoke first. “Subaru, in order to judge where you are, I’d like you to try to strike me with the sword. I don’t believe you’ll be able to, but at least I’ll know what you need to learn.” 

Subaru nodded, but said, “Well, let’s see, maybe I’ll get lucky and land a hit!” 

He grinned, but Reinhard responded with, “If you land a hit on me, then I’m not sure I live up to my title as Sword Saint!”

Subaru swung at Reinhard for 10 minutes, never landing a single hit. In fact, Subaru’s blade never came within 3 feet of Reinhard’s body. A very out of breath Subaru declared, “Ok, I don’t think I can do it. I concede!” 

Reinhard smiled and put down his sword. “It’s good to recognize when an opponent outclasses you, Subaru. All good knights should recognize when they need to quit or retreat.” 

Julius and Ferris, on the side observing, nodded. Subaru asked Reinhard, “So, how much do I need to learn?” 

Reinhard replied, “You’ll need to learn a lot, I’m afraid. However, you understand balance, proper vertical and horizontal slashes, as well as closing the distance. Those are the absolute basics, and everything is built on that. Between Julius and I, we can help you become a more accomplished swordsman. Personally, though, it might be worth trying out maybe a few other weapons. Swords aren’t the only weapons knights are able to use.”

After a trip to the Juukulius armory, the four were back outside with a selection of weapons. Choices included a claymore, morningstar on chains, polearm, axe, warhammer, dual shortswords, great shield with short sword, enchanted quarterstaff, and crossbow. 

“I wish we had a normal bow, Subaru, but it seems our family has never used a bow in its history, and doesn’t intend to start now. Thus, your only ranged choices are to rely on magic, or try out the crossbow or morningstar. I don’t recommend the morningstar, though. It’s extremely hard to master, and those who use it typically learned how to use it starting from a very young age, or have heightened senses.” 

Subaru tried several of the weapons out. He was totally helpless with most of them, but found he could adapt some of his kendo and martial arts training with the quarterstaff, and the great shield/short sword. 

“Perhaps it would be good to learn the shield, Subaru. Few knights ever pick up a shield, and having defensive abilities would help you as a Yin magic user.” 

Julius was doing his best to advise Subaru. Ultimately, Subaru decided to go with the shield/short sword. Thus, began Subaru’s real training to become a knight.


	4. The Junior Knight and the Half-Elf

2 years have passed. The plague coursed through the royal family, and all known relatives of the King are now dead. The Council of Wise Men decided to hold the first Royal Selection since times long forgotten. The Royal Knights and the majority of nobles agreed, since it was the way most likely to promote a peaceful restoration of the throne. Lugnica was weak without a king, and it was only because the surrounding countries were experiencing their own problems that they never invaded Lugnica. The kingdom was also still recovering from the effects of the demihuman wars from decades past.

In the meanwhile, Subaru kept training with Julius, Reinhard, and Ferris. Ferris taught Subaru how to use a few basic water healing spells that he could learn without a water affinity. Reinhard was able to make Subaru fairly proficient with the sword thanks to his Divine Protection of Teaching Mastery, and Julius helped Subaru form contracts with 3 lesser spirits; a fire, water, and shadow spirit. Subaru had already mastered a couple offensive spells, up to the El and even Ul level. With the help of all 3 of his spirits, he could cast Al Minya, although it would be dangerous to do more than once a day.

One day, Julius calls Subaru to a formal parlor with Reinhard and Ferris. 

“Hello Subaru, you’ve been doing a wonderful job training. You’ve been able to strike me in training, and you’ve even managed to surprise Reinhard. Even Ferris is happy with the water magic you’ve learned with his help and the water spirit’s power. Thus, I believe it is time for you to really become a knight!” 

Subaru was elated. The training had been difficult, and they never could find a proper Yin magic teacher, so he still only knew Shamac and Minya, though those two spells alone had granted him incredible support and utility in combat. He was even more surprised, however, when Julius continued. 

“Subaru, becoming a member of the Royal Knights is practically impossible without being a noble. But, never fear, Subaru. I’ve decided, with my father’s permission, to make you a member of the Juukulius household!”

The household held a large ceremony confirming Subaru as a member, and he was given a minor noble title, granting him a permanent residence within the manor as well as a personal attendant. The red haired maid, named Flora, agreed to this role, having been mostly attending to his needs for the past 2 years anyway. She felt a certain kinship with him and regarded him as a friend as well as master. Subaru also held her in high regard for her stalwart professionalism and gentle manner, and would regularly talk to her as she helped him learn the written language of Lugnica and study its long history. 

After Subaru gained the name of Juukulius, he decided his full name would be Subaru Natsuki Juukulius, to honor his parents as well as to adopt the name of his new family. Julius seemed genuinely happy to accept Subaru into the family, and immediately insisted on referring to him as a brother. 

About 2 weeks after acceptance into his new family, Julius brought him before the Royal Knights, alongside Reinhard and Ferris, both of whom were willing to vouch for him alongside Julius. Subaru was granted the title of Junior Royal Knight, which he would carry for 2 years before being inducted as a full Royal Knight. Subaru was given temporary assignment as a capital city patrol, but he was informed that with the upcoming Royal Election, it was likely he would be sought after by one of the candidates and reassigned to one of them. He would get a chance to meet them as well and given some input where he would like to go. 

So far, the only candidates he’d met were Anastasia Hoshin, who was sponsored by his new brother Julius, and Duchess Crusch Karsten, since he was friends with Ferris, her knight. He was told there are two known other candidates, but there should be one more that hasn’t been found yet. Duchess Karsten expressed some interest in having Subaru join her camp, but Subaru asked to meet the other candidates before making a final decision.

One fateful day, Subaru was on patrol in the market district, when he heard a scream. He noticed a woman with pointed ears, patting the pockets of her white dress. 

She was yelling, “It’s gone! It’s gone!” 

Being a knight, Subaru rushed over to assist however he could. He took note of her features: She was stunning, with long, silver-white hair and amethyst-colored eyes. Her ears told him she must be some kind of Elf. He felt his boyish heart flutter a bit, but with full knightly courtesy, he asked, “Is everything ok? I’m a Royal Knight, I can help if something was stolen from you!” 

The woman turned to him, and with a look of hope in her eyes, she said, “Yes, yes, please help! I lost an important insignia, and I saw the thief for a moment. She had blonde hair and red eyes, with a short figure. She was extraordinarily fast, too!” 

Subaru thought for a moment. That sounded a lot like a thief named Felt, whose activities the Royal Guard had been monitoring, but couldn’t spare great resources to track because she rarely stole anything truly important. 

“I see. I think I know who you’re talking about. I’m not positive of where she is, but I’ll do what I can to help you find her, ok?” 

The woman smiled, and said, “Thank you so much. May I ask your name?” 

“I’m Subaru Nat-I mean, Subaru Juukulius.” 

She smiled, and responded, “I’m Emilia. Just Emilia.” 

“A pleasure to make your acquaintance! Now, let’s see if we can get your insignia back.”

The two wandered to the slums, as Subaru had heard Felt hid out in the slums. In an effort to elude suspicion, Subaru had changed into his old outfit from Japan: his favorite tracksuit. Emilia was surprised by the idea, but welcomed any upper hand they could get to track down her insignia. 

“Wow, I never would have thought to do this. You’re reeeally smart, Sir Subaru!” 

Subaru couldn’t help but blush a little at her beaming, innocent smile. He got the impression that maybe she mentally wasn’t as old as she looked. “O-Oh, just Subaru will be fine! There’s no need for formalities!”

Subaru smiled right back, taking the example of the knight who rescued him from potential homelessness on his first day.

“Oh, Subaru, I almost forgot. I should introduce you to my spirit. Puck, come out!” A small cat appeared to fly out from behind her silky silver hair, hovering above her left shoulder. 

“Hiya! The name’s Puck, but that’s what Lia just said. You’re Subaru, right?” 

Subaru nodded his head, surprised to see a spirit that had a shape other than an orb. “That's my name, yes. Are you a Great Spirit? I’ve never met one before.” 

Puck flew around and landed on Subaru’s shoulder. “Yup, I sure am. Great Spirit of Fire, in fact! You’re familiar with spirits, I see. You have 3 lesser spirits following you around!” 

Puck flew back to Emilia as the two kept walking. Emilia spoke up, “Oh, I didn’t even notice your spirits, Subaru! Are you a spirit arts user?”

Subaru thought for a moment before responding. “Well, I suppose I am. I can use magic myself, but I’m not a great spellcaster, so I rely on my spirits more than my own gate.”

The sun was approaching the horizon in the distance. Subaru and Emilia had been searching the slums and talking to people for well over 2 hours, with no leads on where to go. 

“Hey Lia, I’m really sorry, but it’s almost time for me to go to sleep. Will you be ok with the knight?” 

She responded, “I’m sure I will be. He seems pretty responsible, and with his spirits and mine we should be safe.” Puck smiled, and faded wishing them luck. 

“Lia, huh? That’s a cute nickname.” 

Emilia blushed very lightly at the sudden compliment, and responded, “O-Oh! Well, Puck and I have known each other for many years, so I guess it’s only natural that he’d have a nickname for me.”

Subaru smiled.  _ Maybe I’ll get a chance to get to know her better after we get her insignia back! She’s so cute, the way she blushes. _

Emilia suggested talking to some of the surrounding unaffiliated spirits to see if they noticed the thief girl. Subaru watched as she closed her eyes, and suddenly many spirits he hadn’t noticed before showed themselves before her. He was absolutely entranced by the sight. 

He thought,  _ This is like something straight out of an anime! I can’t believe the sights in this world. I know it’s been 2 years, but I’m still amazed! _ After a short while, the spirits faded. 

“Ok, so the spirits told me to check a building at the end of this road. Apparently, it’s like a “loot house”, or something. Maybe she brought it there to sell it?” Subaru nodded, and they made their way over.

Backed all the way to the very outer wall of the capital, they found a sturdy structure with a large wooden door. Subaru looked at Emilia and said, “I’d better take the lead here. Who knows what will be waiting for us inside.” 

Emilia nodded in agreement. Subaru pulled out a lagmite he carried for just this sort of occasion. He knocked a few times, and after getting no response, he opened the door.

_ Hmm...so this is what a loot house looks like. Armors, weapons, jewelry and more. All stolen, I guess. Let's look around and see if I can find anything. I’m surprised it’s dark and unattended. You’d think thieves wouldn’t leave a building _ \- *SQUISH*  _?!? What the heck? What did I step in…!!! _

Blood. Not just blood, but he noticed it flowing out of...a bisected girl, with blonde hair. Just what the hell happened here?

“Well, now, looks like you’ve seen them. What a bother, but I suppose another set of guts is a prize in and of itself…” A sinister feminine voice cut through the dark.

An alarmed Subaru reaches for his sword, but before he can even react, he feels a slash. Immediately, he keels over in pain, and upon trying to cover the wound, realizes he’s touching his freshly eviscerated intestines.  _ OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooouuuuugh…. _

“Augh! Villain…*cough cough* show yourself…”

Subaru collapsed on the ground. The loud noise attracted the attention of his temporary charge outside, who came running in. “Subaru? SUBARU! Omigosh what happen-” *THUD*

Before she could even finish talking, she was already on the ground, bleeding out right next to Subaru. As his vision faded for good, he heard the threatening feminine voice speak. “What a shame. Only took one slice each. Oh well.” Subaru managed to shift his gaze to Emilia, for a moment. He reached out, agonizing in pain, and grabbed onto her hand. “E-e-lia...I’m so...orry...please, please...if only...I could save...you…” The darkness took him, and he faded away.


	5. The Junior Knight and the Witch

**“...I love you...I love you, Subaru...Nothing can stop you, nothing will stop you, as long as I love you…”**

“...ru?”

Subaru was lying in bed, deep in a dream. At least, that’s how it appeared to Flora. Suddenly, he began to convulse, and shake. Flora, in a state of shock, shouted for a healer, but while she waited, took her new master’s hand. Somehow, having his hand held allowed him to calm down. A healer entered the room, and immediately began casting a healing spell. 

Subaru stopped convulsing, and woke up. “I...I’m, ok? You guys found me, and repaired me? M-my guts, are they back inside me?” 

Both Flora and the healer looked incredulously at him, and Flora responded, “Sir Subaru? As far as we can tell, your guts haven’t left you. There are no scars or signs of injury on you. Is everything ok? Maybe you had a terrifying nightmare?” 

Subaru had calmed a little, but he thought back on it. The pain he felt, the experiences he felt on that day were far too real to have been a mere nightmare. “I...I don’t know. Tell me, have I recently assisted a woman with silver hair?” 

After confirming he had not, he was even more confused. “I guess it was just a bad nightmare. I thought a sadistic sounding person had sliced me right open and left me to die, along with a silver-haired woman. It just seemed so real...I’ve never had such a realistic nightmare before. Thank you for calling in the healer, Flora.” 

Both the healer and Flora bowed, and the healer left the room. “Sir Subaru, do you need any assistance getting up? Perhaps I could inform the guardsmen you need to recuperate?” 

Subaru shook his head. “No, it’s ok. I’ll get dressed and perform my normal duties today.” Flora bowed, and left the room.  
  


_Hmm. You know, something tells me, maybe I should just bring the tracksuit with me. Just in case, maybe the dream was predictive somehow?_ Subaru shrugged, and packed the tracksuit into a large pocket in his Knight’s uniform.

Flora was waiting right outside Subaru’s quarters. “Sir Subaru, today you’ve been asked to patrol through the market district. Your orders from up high only specify to keep an eye out for anyone needing help today. They’ve also authorized you to carry your sword for patrol, since the market district is a bit rougher than the noble district.” 

Subaru nodded, and then said, “Flora, is brother Julius here today?” 

Flora looked away in thought for a moment, and replied, “I don’t believe so, Subaru. Last night he was called to join his sponsored candidate in Priestella, so he should have left on a dragon carriage earlier today.” 

Subaru frowned for a moment, but returned to his neutral expression. 

“Thank you, Flora.” She bowed in acknowledgement.

_So, Julius isn’t available. I just feel like I should get someone else to patrol with me today. Maybe Rein is available?_ Subaru thought while he left the manor in uniform with his trusty sword. 

He decided to stop by the guard station in the noble district before going to the market district. 

“Excuse me Lieutenant, do you know if Sir Reinhard is patrolling today?”

The Lieutenant cleared his throat before replying, “Sorry, Sir Subaru. The schedule says he’s on vacation today. Apparently, he hasn’t taken a day off for the last 9 months straight and the commander was getting worried, so he was made to take it off.” 

Subaru was dumbfounded by his luck. “No worries, thank you Lieutenant.”

Subaru made his way to the market district. Normally, he’d start further from the central square, but he decided to start near the main square today. _Call it a premonition, I guess. In my dream, it was near here, right?_

“I-It’s gone! It’s gone!” 

Subaru turned around to find the silver-haired woman he remembered meeting. He rushed right over. “Pardon me, is everything alright? Was something stolen from you?” 

She turned around to look, and stammered out, “Y-Yes, I lost an important item, and I absoluuuuutely have to get it back!” 

Subaru offered a reassuring hand, and said, “I am a Royal Knight, and I’ll do everything I can to help you!” 

Subaru and the woman, who identified herself as Emilia once again, were walking through the slums. 

“I’ve been tracking this girl, Felt, for a while. I’ve heard she hides out in a loot house near here.” It was a bit of a lie, but he felt that was easier to understand than some kind of explanation like ‘I saw this in a dream’ or something. 

He could remember, vaguely, where the house was. They looked down a road, and sure enough, he located it. _Great, the sun is still pretty high in the sky. Maybe I got here before...whoever that voice belonged to…_ Subaru shuddered at the thought. If getting your guts sliced open in a dream was that painful, he doesn’t want to know what it’s like in reality!

Before approaching the loot house, Subaru asked Emilia to wait a moment while he changed out of his uniform. It was risky, since the uniform had chainmail woven into it, but he might be able to peacefully negotiate the return of the insignia if they don’t realize he’s a royal knight. If it fails, he can declare his identity and demand the return of the insignia or face arrest. 

In addition to the tracksuit, he brought some funds with him. ten holy coins, fifty gold coins and some more silver and copper coins for smaller transactions. _I guess having a noble title has some advantages, huh? These holy coins are no joke. You can buy a small house in the lower housing district for eight holy coins!_

Wearing his tracksuit, Subaru knocked on the door to the loot house. 

“Do you know the password?” 

Subaru grunted under his breath. _Of course there’s a password. But at least whoever’s here is alive._

“I don’t know the password, but I am here to make a purchase.” 

Emilia yanked on his sleeve and whispered, “A purchase??? Why should we pay for something stolen from me?” 

Subaru quietly responded, “If we can avoid a violent confrontation, that is for the best. Besides, someone helped me out in a tight spot some time ago, and I’m ready to pass on the favor to someone else.” Subaru smiled at the pointy-eared woman. She was surprised, but she smiled and nodded.

“Gah, alright, I guess you can come in. Just don’t make me regret it.” 

Subaru and Emilia entered, and were greeted by a giant, who gestured for them to sit at a table near a bar. The two sat side by side. He sat across from them. 

“So, what are yeh interested in buying? Can’t think of nothin a couple of noble-lookin brats could want from a place like this.” 

Subaru spoke first, “We want to buy a special looking insignia, and I want to give it as a gift for this lovely woman here.” 

Emilia immediately turned red, but stopped herself from saying anything, realizing Subaru was simply twisting the truth around for convenience. _I bet she thinks I’m super slick!_ Subaru confidently smirked.

“An insignia, huh? I’m afraid I don’t got anything like that here. Sorry, kid.” 

Subaru looked confused at him. “What do you mean? Are you sure? I thought Felt was going to bring it here…”

The giant widens his eyes for a moment before gathering himself. “Ah, you know her? She mentioned someone had contracted her to steal an insignia, but she made it sound like a woman requested it. Perhaps she got confused? Oh well. I suppose you can wait here until she arrives.”

Subaru and Emilia idly chatted about spirits for a while, and the giant was behind the bar polishing what looked like an antique knife. 

“You two know a lot about spirits, huh? Sorry for listening to your conversation. I realized I’ve been rude. M’names Rom. Welcome to my little slice of heaven,” the giant says with a hint of sarcasm at the end. 

Subaru and Emilia nodded at him. “I’m Subaru. Nice to meet you.”

Emilia said nothing. Subaru thought for a moment and said, “I apologize for my lady here. She is a little shy and doesn’t like introducing herself.” Emilia blushed a bit again, but thought, _It’s just an act, he’s making sure you don’t have to introduce yourself._

Rom shrugged. “Don’t bother me none. How do you guys know so much about spirits?” 

Subaru thinks for a moment, but Emilia speaks up. 

“Oh, well, we’re both spirit arts users. We like to compare our art styles.” Subaru was astonished by her quick but well put together reply. 

Rom looked impressed. “Spirit arts users, huh? I guess that’s why the armor and weapons don’t interest you.” Just then, a knock came at the door. It sounded like a specific knock.

Rom communicated a password with the person outside, but Subaru couldn’t make out what it was. Rom opened the door to reveal Felt, who looked in, shocked to see the woman she stole from sitting right there, waiting for her. 

“What the hell? How did you find my hideout? I lost you hours ago!” Rom looked around confused, and Felt glared menacingly at the duo.

Subaru took the lead, again. “Listen, I understand why you took it. Really, I do. That’s why I come to buy it off of you. We want to avoid trouble, and this seems like a convenient arrangement.” 

Felt looked incredulously, but Rom motioned her over to the negotiations. 

“Come on, Felt. Maybe you can get more out of ‘em than from the one who contracted you in the first place?”

Felt sighed, and sat down. “Fine. If you’re doing this in good faith, then I’ll negotiate in good faith too. My contracted client said she’d offer no less than ten holy coins. Can you match that offer?” 

Subaru nodded. “I can offer, at minimum, ten holy coins and fifty gold coins.” 

Felt’s eyes lit up. “Well, you’re in the running, at least. But I’ll need to wait until my client shows up to bid.” 

Subaru frowned. “Are you sure you need to wait? I...um, have a bad feeling about this client of yours. She may not be as reasonable as us.” 

Felt smirked, and replied, “That’s what Old Man Rom is for. She tries anything, and he’ll smash her head in!” Rom stood behind the bar, lifting a huge club above his head. 

Subaru remembered what he saw in his dream, though. _She killed both of them. She cut her in half! I’ll just need to be ready to parry her strike this time, I think._

Subaru decided to get Emilia’s attention. 

“Excuse us a moment, Felt. I need to discuss a few details with her.” 

Felt rolls her eyes, and nods. Subaru and Emilia stand up and walk a few steps away. “What is it, Subaru? You seem really anxious about all this.” 

Emilia was whispering since Subaru felt the need to walk away.

“Emilia...listen. Her client is dangerous. A killer, of some kind. She likes to slice people’s guts. Be on guard for her arrival.” 

Emilia’s eyes widened, and Puck poked his head out from her hair. “Thanks for telling us, Subaru. Not sure how you know that, but I sense you aren’t lying.”

Subaru and Emilia returned to the table, noticeably more wary looking. “What’s with you two? Afraid of losing a bidding war? Like I said, Old Man Rom won’t hesitate to attack if he thinks you’re gonna do anything, and I’m a lot faster than you think, so don’t try anything.” 

The two nodded. They all heard a knock at the door. 

Felt got up, saying, “I think that’s her. Give me a moment.” 

Subaru looked over at Emilia and gave her a stern nod. She gave the same one back to him.

Subaru had his hand on his blade. Rom noticed, and glared at Subaru. Subaru picked up on it, and whispered at him, “Rom, it’s not you or Felt I’m nervous about. You should be ready, too. I think our guest is going to be much scarier than any of us.” 

Rom looked at him wide eyed, but he went ahead and grabbed his club, keeping it at the ground.

“Well well, what’s this? I’m afraid I didn’t come here expecting to be negotiating against the item’s original owner.” Subaru recognized the terrifying voice.

All three immediately took on a readied stance. There was no way this woman should know that Emilia was the original owner without knowing something in advance. Felt instinctively backed away, and stammered out, “What do you mean? They’re just opponents also negotiating for the insignia…”

A pale woman with dark, sharp eyes and jet black hair walked in, with a curved knife in her hand. Her outfit left surprisingly little to the imagination, though paired with a large, bulky cape. 

“Do you really think I’d believe that flimsy excuse, thief? You failed to lose her, and now you’re trying to hide your embarrassment. I bet you didn’t even know that man beside her was a Royal Knight.” 

Felt widened her eyes, shooting daggers at Subaru. 

Having been outed, Subaru stood up. “Yes, I am a Royal Knight. I’m here to retrieve her insignia.” He drew his sword, and stood at the ready. 

“You are participating in a criminal activity. Back away now, and I’ll be willing to overlook all of this.”

The pale woman laughed. “Oh, really now? You’d be so kind? I must decline, you see. I have very specific orders: If I am unable to retrieve the insignia without the original owner’s knowledge, then I should instead take it by force. All of you will die by my lovely blade.” 

Felt stopped looking at Subaru, intending to question her statement. However, by the time she turned back, it was too late.

*SLASH*

Felt barely dodged the strike, the pale woman’s blade slicing a barstool clean in half. Even so, she still suffered a large cut on her left arm. 

“AUGH! What the hell??? I understand attacking them, but me? I didn’t do anything to you, I did what you asked me to!” 

The woman smiled a sick smile, licking her lips. “Anything requested of Elsa, The Bowel Hunter, will be done as long as the coin is right.”

As if on cue, Puck appeared from behind Emilia. “The Bowel Hunter, huh? Sounds like you need a spirit to punish you!”

Elsa sported a devilish grin as she stared down her next targets. “Oh, a spirit, huh? I’ve never disemboweled a spirit before. I wonder what’s inside of you?” 

At this, Emilia raised her hands, and Puck began firing ice crystals at her. Elsa seemed to dodge every crystal, as though she possessed superhuman speed. Meanwhile, Subaru had gone over to Felt. She was surprised as Subaru grabbed on to her injured arm. 

“W-What are you doing? It’s kind of a bad time to try and arrest me, dontcha think?!?” 

However, Subaru simply smiled at her, and cast a healing spell on her arm. 

“Mana of water, heal this body.” 

Felt appeared stunned as Subaru healed her wound until it stopped bleeding. “I’m aware it’s a bad time, Felt. However, it’s my duty as a knight to try and protect everyone from a murderer. Is your arm feeling better?” 

Subaru let go, and Felt moved her arm around. “Y-Yeah, it’s better. Thanks, I guess?” 

Subaru nodded, accepting her apology. “Right, now we’ve got a bloodthirsty killer to fight.”

Elsa continued to dodge the ice. She was looking for any opening to attack any of her 4 targets, but she had to admit, the spirit was doing a damn good job of keeping her busy. 

“Hmm, at least this job requires me to use some effort. Delicious!” 

Subaru was back at the ready, Felt drew her shortsword, and Rom had his club ready to swing. 

“Thanks for the cover, Puck, we can attack now!” 

Puck looked over with a smile and said, “You got it! Just a few more crystals should give you an opening!”

Puck summoned tons of crystals, and fired them all around Elsa. Elsa seemed to dodge them all, but before she could respond, found that her foot had been caught in the ice. 

“What, did you think I was just firing randomly?” Puck winked. Subaru and Felt rushed Elsa together and swung their weapons, aiming for opposite sides of her neck. Elsa slashed at her foot, and freed herself just in time to dodge the dual swings. 

“Mmm...not bad, spirit, not bad, knight. Losing part of my foot is a bit inconvenient, but it won’t slow me down.” 

She took a hunk of ice from the ground, and held it against her foot stump, magically binding it to form something like a shoe. Subaru was astonished by the insane woman’s tactics. 

“However, I’m afraid I don’t have time to play games.” 

Before Subaru could respond, Elsa had already taken a slash at his abdomen. Subaru tried to parry, but Elsa was so fast, she simply sliced his belly before he could block her. The searing pain sent Subaru straight to the floor, writhing in agony.

“SUBARU!” Emilia screamed, as Felt just screamed loudly. But then, Felt was just as quickly dispatched to the floor, writhing right next to Subaru. 

Rom shouted, “You BITCH! You’ll regret ever laying a hand on her!” 

Rom lept over and swung his mighty club at Elsa, but she sliced his giant belly right open as he swung, and he missed, collapsing right by Felt. A horrified Emilia was the only one left standing. 

Puck, in alarm, said, “Lia! You need to get out of here! We can’t heal them all, we have to get more knights!” 

Before she could run, however, she felt a sharp pain in her back. Emilia collapsed right on top of Subaru. 

“Lia! LIA! No, no, this can’t be happening…” Puck’s words were the last Subaru heard before his consciousness faded.

He swore he could have felt things become very, very cold for a moment.

A swirl of darkness was surrounding Subaru. At least, that’s what it seemed like. Subaru could tell he was there, but he couldn’t tell if he still had a body, or if he was dead, and his soul was being sent somewhere. Then, he felt an embrace. It seemed warm, but also cold at the same time, like being held by a corpse. There was a kiss on his neck, with the same sort of feeling. Then, a strong pull backwards, as he faded once more.

Subaru quickly sat up in his bed, back in the Juukulius manor. He was sweating, and he quickly checked his abdomen, to find it unscarred and intact. _Ok, that wasn’t a dream. Something is definitely happening to me. The first time, I died, and I woke up back here. The second time, same thing. Do I have the ability to respawn?_

Subaru thanked his lucky stars, it seems that he does have a special power after all. _Reinhard has his Divine Protections, Ferris has super powerful healing magic, and Julius can combine his spirit arts and swordsmanship to make all new magic. Maybe I do have a chance to become as awesome as them!_

Subaru wearily smiled to himself, proud of the ability he now knows he has. Just then, Flora walked into his room. 

“Sir Subaru, you’ve awoken before I arrived. Is everything alright?” 

Subaru looked at her and asked, “Flora, are you very familiar with the different Divine Protections throughout the world?”

Flora gave a slight nod, and clarified, “I have some knowledge of Divine Protections. I do know that I have a Divine Protection of File Sorting, that ensures any organization of files I do is instantly recognizable and usable by anyone who needs to search through them.” 

Subaru had a slightly dopey look at this, and thought, _Man, it’s a Divine Protection and all, but I figured if you got one, it would be way cooler than that. I guess that’s why she’s my personal attendant, then._

Flora looked down, “Yes, I know, it’s a pretty ridiculous protection. But it aids tremendously in my job, and it means if I ever needed to find a new job, I could get one very easily by mentioning it.” 

Flora looked back up, and Subaru said, “Well, anyway, I think I might have some sort of Divine Protection. Do you know of any protection where you d-”

Time stopped around Subaru. A shadow consumed the vision around him, and he could see nothing. Then, a shadowy hand appeared, and approached his chest. His heart rate went up, frightened of what he was seeing, and then felt the hand squeeze his heart, sending searing pain throughout his chest. The shadows dissipated, and Subaru yelped in pain as he held his chest. 

“Sir Subaru! What happened? Are you ok? Should I get a healer?” 

Subaru didn’t know how to answer, and just collapsed back on the bed, breathing heavily.  
Flora ran into the hall, and shouted for a healer. Luckily, there was one walking down right then, and he rushed into the room. 

“I don’t know what happened, Sir Subaru was asking me a question, and then he clutched his chest in pain. See if you can do something!” 

The healer immediately cast a spell on his chest. Subaru’s ragged breathing calmed, and the pain subsided. Subaru opened his eyes again, to see the healer and his worried attendant hovering over him. 

“Sir Subaru, are you ok now?” 

Subaru weakly nodded his head. “Yes, I’m feeling a little better, thank you. Flora, is Julius still around?” 

Flora nodded. “He is due to leave on a dragon carriage in about half an hour, but I could find him and bring him over before he leaves.” 

_So, I woke up a little earlier today. I guess I’m pretty lucky._ Subaru sighed in relief. Subaru nodded at Flora, and she left to go get Julius. 

“Thank you, healer. What is your name again?” The healer nodded, and replied, “My name is Hans Henkle, you may call me Hans, Sir Subaru.” 

Subaru smiled and said, “Then, thank you, Hans. You can return to your duties.” Hans nodded, and left the room. Subaru decided that, since he doesn’t go on duty for an hour, he could put on his tracksuit for a while. 

Subaru heard a knock on the door. 

“You may enter!” Subaru said. 

The door opened to reveal Flora with Julius beside her. “Subaru, is everything ok? Flora told me what happened.” 

Subaru shook his head and replied, “I’m not sure, honestly. I was hoping to talk to you and try to figure it out before you left.” 

Julius nodded, and sat down by Subaru, as Flora stood by. 

“Julius, would you believe me if I told you that I had…perhaps, seen the future?” 

Subaru was worried that the hand would strike him again, but it seems just talking about the future didn’t trigger anything. 

Julius went wide eyed, and asked, “What do you mean? Like, a premonition, or a vision, maybe?” 

Subaru nodded. “I guess you could say a vision. I felt like I experienced something that hasn’t happened yet. All I know is I was helping a woman with silver hair, and I was attacked by someone who called herself, Elsa, the Bowel Hunter.” 

Julius went wide eyed again. “Subaru...you may have seen the future, then. There is a real person with that name and alias. She is a dangerous assassin who has claimed the lives of countless innocents. Tell me, do you remember how she attacked you?” 

Subaru nodded. “She attacked with a curved knife, and slashed at my abdomen.” 

Julius closed his eyes. “That matches the description we have perfectly. Subaru...maybe you have the Divine Protection of Future Sight.” 

Subaru looked at him for a moment. 

“Divine Protection of Future Sight?”

Julius nodded. “It’s an incredibly rare protection, and it’s also well known that Yin magic users are far more likely to receive this protection than any other people. The condition to receive it is that the person has no other Divine Protections.” 

Subaru thought, _Well, this is convenient. I don’t have it, but if people believe I have this protection, I can talk about what happened before I died, and change it._

Julius took a serious face with Subaru. “Subaru, this Divine Protection is one of the single most useful there is in this world. When people find out you have this power, you’re going to become a very high-in-demand knight. However, I won’t go telling anyone, and I’m sure Flora here will take the secret to the grave if you ask her to.” 

Flora nodded. “I wouldn’t dare spill this secret to anyone, Sirs Subaru and Julius.” 

Subaru looked back at Julius. “Julius, is there any way you could delay your trip for a day? The event I saw happened today, and I seriously doubt I’m a match against someone like that Elsa.” 

Julius frowned, but nodded. “Lady Hoshin will be disappointed, but I’m sure she’ll forgive me if I explain that you urgently required my assistance.” 

Subaru smiled. _Alright, hopefully with Julius’ help, I can take down Elsa._

Not long afterward, Subaru and Julius wandered through the market district on patrol, in uniform. 

“Julius, somewhere around here, the woman should appear soon. Something was stolen from her.” 

Julius nodded. On cue, they heard a shout. 

“I-It’s gone! It’s gone!”

Subaru and Julius ran over to the woman. “Is everything alright? Was something stolen from you?” 

She turned around, and saw the two knights. “Sir Julius! And...I’m sorry, I don’t think I’ve met you, Sir?” 

“Subaru, Sir Subaru. But you may call me just Subaru.”

Once again, Emilia introduced herself to Subaru, who pretended not to know her. The three went to sit down on a bench in a quiet part of the district. 

“So, Emilia, I was telling Julius earlier, I have the Divine Protection of Future Sight, so I’ve seen what’s going to happen today. I hope you can trust and believe me.” 

Julius added, “Lady Emilia, you can trust what he says. He is a member of my household, and I have the utmost faith in him.” 

Subaru smiled, thankful for his good fortune.

The three arrived near the loot house in the evening. 

Julius looked at Subaru in awe. “I must say, Subaru, I had no idea Future Sight could provide detail like this. It really is like you’ve done this before.” 

Subaru smiled at Julius, and said, “Yeah, it really is!” 

Subaru and Julius were both wearing normal outfits, at Subaru’s suggestion, so they wouldn’t immediately be identified as knights. Subaru and Puck had chatted about spirits for a while, and compared Subaru’s spirits to Julius’s. They were surprised to find that while Subaru only had 3 spirits, they were nearly as strong as Julius’ 6 spirits put together. Of course, Puck was still stronger than either of the two spirit knights, which gave Emilia the last laugh in the end. 

Julius looked at Subaru. “Are you ready? This is definitely going to be dangerous.” 

Subaru nodded. “Emilia, stay near us. And Puck, be ready for Elsa to try a sneak attack.” 

Both spirit and contractor nodded. Julius knocked on the door. The door opened, revealing Felt. 

“What do you...wait, how did you find me???” 

She looked straight at Emilia, shocked. She was sure she had lost Emilia hours ago. 

Julius spoke up, “Listen, we know you have her stolen item. But, we wanted to try and negotiate for it back. We are friends of hers.” 

Felt narrowed her eyes suspiciously, and darted them back and forth looking at the trio. “Fine. If you want to try and outbid my client, then be my guest. I doubt you’ll succeed, though!”

While they were walking to the loot house, Subaru explained something important to Julius and Emilia. 

“So, the thing is, Felt may not recognize us, but Elsa definitely will, and she will refuse to negotiate with Emilia present. So, just be on guard, and don’t let her take you by surprise.” Both of them nodded in acknowledgement.

As Subaru, Emilia, and Julius settled in, another knock came at the door. 

“Well, this should be my client. Good luck, losers!” 

She stuck out her tongue, and while it was meant to be insulting, Subaru and Julius couldn’t help but to chuckle at the infantile display. 

Rom looked over and growled quietly, “Listen, you three. I’m here to make sure no one tries anything on Felt, got it? M’name’s Rom, and don’t you forget it.” 

Subaru looked back at him and replied, “Rom, I’m Subaru. More importantly, we would never wish to harm Felt. We came here because Felt’s client is a dangerous assassin. You should be ready, too.” 

Rom went wide eyed, and unsure whether to believe Subaru or not, he took a hold of his club, holding it towards the ground.

Felt reappeared, and said, “So, here’s the other party you’ll be negotiating with!” 

The pale killer, Elsa, appeared shortly afterward. “Other party, you say? I think perhaps there’s been a misunderstanding, Felt.” 

Felt looked back over, and said, “What do you mean? Did you think you were the only one who wanted a fancy insignia like this?” 

Elsa smiled and licked her lips, in a manner that’d be seductive were it not her doing it. “No, no, Felt. Certainly, that’d be understandable. But these people are not a negotiating party. This is the item’s original owner, and two Royal Knights. I’m surprised you didn’t recognize Sir Julius, one of the most well known of the knights.” 

Felt stammered and turned around, glaring at Subaru and Julius. Both stood up and drew their weapons. Julius flicked his purple hair to the side before he spoke.

“If it isn’t Elsa, the Bowel Hunter. I was wondering if I’d ever get a chance to fight you.” 

Julius had a determined smirk on his face as he spoke. Rom then added, “The Bowel Hunter? Subaru, you weren’t kidding when you said she was dangerous! Even I know about her!” 

He lifted his club up. Elsa smiled wide. 

“Sir Julius, and friends, I can’t wait to see your lovely guts.”

Elsa went straight for the small girl near her. Lucky for Felt, Puck had been paying attention this time, and erected an ice wall before Elsa could strike her. Felt lept away behind Rom. 

“You’re welcome!” 

Puck winked as he refocused on Elsa. Several Huma crystals appeared, and Subaru added his own Minya crystals as well, as Julius stood ready to face Elsa with the sword. 

“Let’s do this!” Shouted Subaru, as the crystals went flying, and Elsa went dodging. Subaru saw that Puck was trying to get Elsa to move to the right, so he focused his firing to aid Puck. 

“Good eye, Subaru!” Puck smiled as Subaru read his plan. 

Julius paid attention too, and as Elsa approached the right wall, he moved in to strike her. Elsa parried his blow, and the others watched as they duked it out. 

Julius exchanged blows with Elsa in an intricate dance of dueling, slashing and parrying at a speed at which the others could barely keep up. Puck still had some energy left, and he tried to keep Elsa from getting any closer to Emilia and crew. 

Subaru took the moment to look back at Felt and Rom. “Hey, listen, I’m really sorry for concealing our identities. We knew about your client in advance, and knew that she was planning on killing you regardless.”

Both Rom and Felt went wide eyed, but seeing Elsa now had them believing what Subaru said. 

“Th-Thanks, then, I guess. I never thought a Royal Knight would work to save a common thief and a merchant of stolen goods.” Felt seemed genuinely grateful, though still wary. 

Rom also spoke up, “Please thank the spirit for protecting my Felt. I don’t think I’d survive if something bad happened to her.”

Subaru turned back around, as Puck stopped firing crystals. 

“Lia, Subaru, I’m sorry, but I’m all out of energy, and it’s contractually time for me to go to sleep. Subaru, I’m counting on you and Julius to help keep Lia safe.” 

Subaru nodded, and Puck vanished. Emilia spoke up, “Don’t worry too much, Subaru. I still have contracts with lesser spirits, so I can still use spirit arts, it’s just slightly less effective than Puck.” 

Subaru smiled, and added, “My spirits still have power as well. We’ll have to work together to play keep-away with Elsa.” 

They both readied their arts, and began firing in a pattern similar to how Puck was firing, though trying to make sure they wouldn’t hit Julius by accident.

After a seemingly long time, Julius and Elsa separated. Both were exhausted from the swordplay. Meanwhile, Subaru and Emilia were running low on power themselves. Subaru had resorted to using Huma with the aid of the fire and water spirits, since his shadow spirit was totally out of mana. 

Elsa, breathing heavily, sputtered out, “I-I must say, Sir Julius, you really are...the knight among knights. I’ve never fought such a deliciously tough opponent.” 

Julius, also gasping for air, replied, “I had no idea...any such assassin as yourself could be just so...powerful. But, it’s time...to end this.” 

Julius called upon his trump card, which Subaru had only ever witnessed once, in a practice bout between Reinhard and Julius. 

“Al...Claurista!”

Julius’ 6 spirits shone brightly, as his blade glowed in the darkened loot house. Elsa tried to back away, but found while she was distracted, Emilia had managed to catch her foot in an ice crystal. Elsa barely had time to look back, as Julius swung his blade. 

A blinding light filled the room, and when it dissipated, Elsa was nowhere to be seen. 

“Is...is it over?” Felt asked, nervously scanning the surroundings. Subaru and Julius kept their weapons up, but couldn’t find any trace of Elsa. They turned back around to Felt. 

“Subaru, what do you think we should do?” Julius asked, directing his attention at Felt.

“Well, after the traumatic experience she just went through, I think if she gives back the insignia, we could leave her alone.” Subaru smiled, as Julius nodded. 

“Well, I guess it’s a good thing I’m off duty today.” 

Emilia snickered, and added, “Some Royal Knights you are, huh?”

All five people in the room had a laugh. 

Felt reached into her bag, and pulled out the insignia, directing it at Subaru. “That sounds fair to me, big bro. You saved me and Rom. I don’t think I could thank you enough!” 

As she did this, though, Subaru and Julius noticed the insignia light up in her hand. 

Julius, in shock, says, “Subaru, this is a Royal Dragon insignia. Do you know what this means?” 

Subaru realized exactly what it meant. “Felt...is a candidate for the throne?” He also realized one other thing. “Emilia, if this belongs to you, does that mean…?” 

Emilia nodded. “Yes, I’m also a candidate.” 

Subaru looked back at Julius. “What should we do? I am a junior knight, I can’t sponsor Felt…” 

Just then, the main door opened, revealing another knight, with red hair and blue eyes. 

“Is everything ok in here? I heard some clamoring and saw a bright light a moment ago and came running!” 

He looked over to find a very confused looking Felt holding the shining insignia in her hand. 

“Julius, Subaru...did you find the final candidate for the throne???” 

Subaru spoke first. “Yeah, Rein, I think we did. This girl here, it seems she’s qualified.” 

Felt exclaimed, “What are you guys talking about? Candidate for the throne, qualified, what does all this even mean???”

While they were talking, a shadow moved in the background. Subaru noticed it, and leapt in front of Emilia. Everyone heard a *CLANG* sound, and turned around to see a heavily injured Elsa being parried by Subaru. 

Julius raised his sword back up, and Reinhard grabbed a sword he found on the ground, pointing at Elsa. 

“Hah...the Sword Saint showed up, huh? I guess that means I’m done here. Keep those guts safe for me, Subaru…” 

Upon the end of her enormously creepy sentence, Elsa made a run for it, leaping out of a window up high. Julius wanted to give chase, but was stopped by a *THUD*. 

Subaru was on the floor, clutching his stomach. He had parried one of Elsa’s blades, but she slashed him with a second blade she hadn’t shown during the entire fight. As he lost consciousness, he heard Emilia scream his name, hovering over him with a healing spell.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone, thanks for reading! A new chapter will be uploaded by the end of the day, starting off Arc 2! I hope you've all enjoyed Arc 1 of knightly Subaru with less parent issues!


	6. Property of Roswaal L. Mathers

Subaru woke up in an unfamiliar bed. He looked around, and saw a woman with long, green hair, conversing with a catfolk, a purple-haired man, and a silver-haired woman. After a moment of haziness, he quickly identified them as Duchess Karsten, Ferris, Julius, and Emilia. 

“Nya, it looks like our sleeping beayutie has fyinally woken up!” 

All four looked over, got up and went over to Subaru’s side. 

“Sir Subaru, it’s a relief to see you awake again.” Karsten had a warm smile, greeting the junior knight. 

“Th-Thanks, Duchess, but please, you may call me, just Subaru…” 

She responded, “And I told you, there’s no need to refer to me by my title. In fact, tell you what. I won’t say ‘Sir’ if you call me Crusch. Deal?” 

Subaru weakly smiled, and nodded. “Understood, Crusch.” 

Julius spoke up next. “Subaru, as soon as we saw you hit the floor, Emilia here began trying to heal you. She was able to stabilize you enough that we could get you more proper medical attention. It’s lucky for us we ran into Ferris on the way back to our house, and he asked us to bring you here, in Crusch’s manor, for treatment.” 

Subaru turned his head toward Emilia and Ferris on the opposite side of the bed. “Subaru-kyun, I’d be more than happy if you showered me with praise!” 

Julius and Crusch chuckled, and Emilia turned a little red, while Subaru smiled and giggled quietly. 

“Th-thanks, Ferris. I guess it pays to be friends with the best healer in the kingdom, huh?” 

Ferris laughed, and tapped him on the shoulder. “It syure does, nya!”

Finally, Emilia spoke. “Subaru, I’m so glad you’re ok. I would’ve been a goner if that Elsa had hit me. Thanks to you, I’m totally hunky-dory. I owe you a great deal, for saving me and helping me get that insignia back.”

Subaru replied, “Does anyone even say ‘hunky-dory’ in this day and age anymore?” Everyone giggled at Subaru’s comment.

There was a knock on the door. A pink haired maid and a red haired attendant entered the room. Subaru knows Flora, but he didn’t recognize the pink haired maid. 

“Sir Subaru! I’m glad you’ve finally awakened. I’ve been really worried!” Flora came over to greet him with a smile. 

“Thanks, Flora. I’m glad to be awake!” 

The pink haired maid then spoke. “Miss Emilia, will you be staying any longer, or will you plan to leave today?” 

Emilia responded, “I think I’ll leave today. But, I’d like to see if Subaru here would like to tag along, since we have room in the carriage.” 

Emilia turned back to Subaru. “Sorry, Subaru. I don’t mean to spring this on you right after you’ve woken up, but I’d like to bring you to my sponsor’s manor. We’ve told him about what you’ve done for me, and he would like to reward you personally on my behalf.” 

Subaru had taken some time to get up, stretch, and put on his knight uniform. Crusch had been kind enough to have her servants wash it while he slept. He still couldn’t believe that Crusch wasn’t even going to ask for a returned favor, and insisted that she would help a friend of Ferris’ anytime. 

She had told him, “Admittedly, I do have the selfish interest of hoping to get you to join me. I hope you can forgive me.” 

She had smirked and winked at him, and he felt just a little flush faced at it.

Emilia agreed to let Subaru bring his attendant, Flora, with him. Emilia, Subaru, and Flora got into the carriage, while the pink haired maid took the reins. 

Before departing, Julius talked with Subaru. “You see, her sponsor is an eccentric fellow, the Margrave Roswaal Mathers. Try to stay on your best manners, regardless of who approaches you. Now that you’ve healed up, I will be going to Priestella. Miss Hoshin accepted my delay, so now I am meeting with her in 2 days. Be safe, Subaru, and remember, as a knight it is your duty to keep these ladies safe during your journey to the Mathers domain.”

During the half day journey, Emilia and Subaru talked quite a bit. He found her to be very sweet, and was taken by her all-loving attitude and mannerism, not to mention her flowing silver hair and shining purple eyes. He also noticed that Flora seemed to not want to look directly at her, and would direct all inquiries at Subaru. He was unhappy that his attendant wouldn’t engage in conversation with Emilia, but he chalked it up to her not wanting to interrupt Subaru. 

“Oh, Subaru, I’d totally forgotten, I never introduced you to my attendant. The maid with pink hair, her name is Ram. She has a twin sister back at the manor named Rem. I’ll formally introduce you when we arrive.” 

After 3 hours, Puck came out. He floated over to Subaru, and rubbed up against his shoulder before landing on his thigh. 

“Hey Subaru! Sorry, I’ve been resting a lot since the fight with Elsa the other day. I just wanted to thank you for keeping Lia safe! If there’s any way a Great Spirit can reward you, let me know!” 

Subaru thought for a moment. “Actually, I know! Puck, I ask for two things. First, I’d like to be able to pet you whenever I see you!” 

Emilia giggled at the silly request. 

“Done! What’s your second request?” 

Subaru responded, “Well, I’m a Yin magic user, but I don’t know more than 2 Yin spells. My spirit isn’t capable of teaching arts, only executing them. Do you know any other Yin spells you could teach me, or could you introduce me to a spirit or mage who can?” 

Puck thought for a moment. “Well, the only Yin spell I actually know is Shamac, I’m afraid. But, I may be able to introduce you to someone who can help. There’s actually another Great Spirit residing at the Mathers manor who specializes in Yin magic. I’ll try to arrange a meeting!” 

The carriage pulled into a large courtyard with a multiple story mansion contained in a single building.

_Wow, it’s big. The Juukulius manor is overall larger, but this is larger than any of the individual buildings. I guess the Margrave is a major lord._

The carriage came to a halt, and the passengers unloaded from the cabin. Standing in front of the mansion was a blue haired maid and a tall man in a purple cloak with what looked like dark clown makeup. 

“Emilia, does the Margrave employ a jester?” 

Emilia stopped and urgently looked back at Subaru. “I am so glad you said this while we’re still out of earshot! The man in the cloak is the Margrave, Subaru.” 

Subaru turned red, embarrassed by his misjudgement. “Oh! Um...my bad…” 

Emilia sighed, and put her hand on his shoulder for a moment. “It’s ok, Subaru. It’s not the first time someone has mistaken him for a jester. Just keep it to yourself, ok?” 

She smiled slightly at him. The pink haired maid, Ram, had already gone on ahead to join the blue haired maid and the Margrave.

“Greetings, Miss Emilia! We~elcome back. Is this the knight you had gushed so much about?” 

Emilia turned red, and stammered, “Y-Y-Yes, this is him! I didn’t gush, I-I was just grateful that he saved me, that’s all!”

The Margrave turned his attention to Subaru. “He~ello, Sir Knight. I am Margrave Roswaal L. Mathers, Lord of the Mathers domain. I humbly welcome you to my manor. My attendants will prepare a room so you can stay for dinner and rest for the night. You may call me Roswaal.” He gave a smile that Subaru couldn’t quite tell was genuine or not. 

Ram spoke, “Sir Knight, my dear sister and I will prepare your room. Please enjoy the company of Lord Roswaal in the meantime.” The twin maids bowed in unison, as though it was rehearsed.

Emilia, Flora, and Subaru followed Roswaal into the manor, and into a large formal parlor. Each person took a seat surrounding a beautifully detailed glass-and-metal alloy coffee table. Subaru noted that Flora had chosen a seat as far from Emilia as could be done politely. 

_I’ll have to ask later. Normally she would’ve chosen to sit by me, but I’m sitting by Emilia, so she didn’t._

Roswaal broke the silence of the room. “So~oo, Subaru, would you mind introducing me to the lovely lady you’ve brought with you?” 

Subaru nodded, not noticing Flora turning a faint shade of red. “This is my personal attendant, Flora. As a member of the Juukulius family, she is assigned to handle my personal affairs and schedule. I asked her along since she often doesn’t get opportunities to go anywhere.” 

Roswaal responded, “Ah, I see. Quite the pe~erk of having a noble title, isn’t it? Well, let me get down to business.”

“Sir Subaru, you saved the royal candidate that I sponsor, so as a token of my gra~atitude, I would like to offer you a reward. I will grant anything within my power: Money, land, resources, or perhaps a place in my household as Miss Emilia’s personal Royal Knight? Please, let me know.” Subaru had to admit to himself, becoming a personal knight to a beautiful woman like Emilia certainly seemed enticing.

_Me, a knight for her? I could spend every day with her, get to know her, and maybe, just maybe...she might fall in love with me one day?_

He got goosebumps down his back at the thought. He failed to even notice Emilia turning a noticeable shade of red. “Oh, yes, I almost forgo~ot, if you were to become her knight, I would gla~adly hire your attendant so she can continue to serve you.”

Subaru, speaking in the best knightly voice he could muster, said, “W-Well, I admit it sounds wonderful, but I promised the Knight Commander I would meet with all the candidates before I decided whether to join one of them. They even told me it was likely that more than one camp would try to recruit me. I’ve met with Miss Karsten, Miss Hoshin, and now Miss Emilia here. I have yet to meet the other candidate.” 

Roswaal put his arms up in a shrug. “You refer to Miss Barielle, I take it. We~ell, I understand wanting to try and be fair, but I would offer you a caution: Miss Barielle is a very rough master, and every knight to ever work for her except her current personal knight ended up burnt out within half a year. It’s very likely that if you haven’t met her yet, then she has no desire to meet you.” 

Subaru looked over at Flora, who turned her head to the floor. 

“Yes, Sir Subaru, Lord Roswaal is right. We sent her a letter asking if she’d like to meet you, and she sent back a letter that simply had the word “No” written on it. We just received the letter a few days ago, and had yet to inform you.” 

Subaru asked to be excused with Flora for a moment to consider his options. 

“Well, Flora, this means both Camp Crusch and Camp Emilia want to recruit me. There could be more notoriety in joining Crusch, but I’d be a lesser knight serving under one of her personal knights. On the other hand, if I join Emilia, I’ll become her personal knight, and my accomplishments might stand out more. What do you think?” 

Flora hesitated for a moment, and then responded. “If you’re asking my opinion, Sir Subaru, then I think you should join Crusch. Being under her banner will give you a chance to bring glory to yourself and the Juukulius household serving a major lord living in the capital.” 

Subaru asked, “Do you believe I won’t get a chance to do that under Emilia as well?” 

Flora sighed. “Sir Subaru, forgive me for this, but don’t you realize who Miss Emilia is?”

Subaru looked at Flora cockeyed. “Who she is? What’s that supposed to mean?” 

Flora lowered her head a bit, and talked a bit quieter. “Sir Subaru. Forgive my presumptuousness, but aren’t you familiar with the story of the Witch?” 

“The story of the Witch? Yeah, I think I read about it a year ago. She drained half the world dry, and it took Reid Astrea, the Holy Dragon Volcanica, and the Sage to seal her, right? I’m not sure how that’s relevant…”

Flora took on an annoyed look. “Don’t you recall her description?”

Subaru thought for a moment. “No, the story I read didn’t describe her.” 

Flora sighed again. “Alright. I guess you can’t be faulted, then. The Witch of Envy...she was described as a half-elf with silver hair, amethyst eyes, and very pale skin. Sound familiar?” 

Subaru realized she had described Emilia. He didn’t realize she was half elf, but he guessed she was Elven based on her pointy ears. 

“Ok, I guess I see what you mean. She looks like the Witch from centuries past. But I don’t think that would prevent me from being a great knight under her.” 

Flora was incredulous. She thought, _Does he not realize what will happen to his reputation?_

“After all, she only resembles her. It’s not like Emilia IS the Witch. She’s way too nice to be like that.” 

Flora was completely dumbfounded. “Sir Subaru, please. Lord Roswaal can be forgiven for being an eccentric man living far from most people, but people will think poorly of you for being her knight. They won’t want to associate with someone who supports a Witch look-alike, even if she doesn’t act like the Witch. I’m only trying to look out for your well being!” 

Flora’s look was that of a mother scolding her child.

Subaru almost couldn’t believe his ears. He never realized the sort of discimination people could face in this world. Even in his old world, simply looking like a villain from history generally wouldn’t get you discriminated against by the world at large. Granted, there were other issues, but that was beside the point. 

“Flora, hating someone for looking like a long-gone evildoer is, quite frankly, ridiculous. Maybe I should become Emilia’s knight, if for no other reason than to help people realize this.” 

Flora wanted to scream at him, but she calmed down. She knew, deep down, he was right. Discrimination is wrong, even for a reason like this. If this is what her master wants, she will support him.

“...I see, Sir Subaru. Well, I won’t stand in your way. I’ll follow you, no matter what you decide.” She smiled, even if she didn’t really want to. 

The two walked back into the parlor, where Emila and Roswaal were waiting. 

“Well, Su~ubaru, have you decided what you’d like from me?” 

Subaru nodded. “Lord Roswaal, I would like to become Emilia’s personal Royal Knight.” 

Roswaal smiled wide. “Ve~ery well. It is done. I will provide your salary in place of the Crown, as well as a salary and lodging for your attendant. My attendants are already preparing a great room for you, so I will simply provide it for you as your permanent lodging.” 

Emilia stood up, flush-faced and wide eyed, and walked up to Subaru. “Y-You’re really going to be my knight? Even despite...who I am, what I look like?” 

Subaru smiled and looked at her in the eyes. “Emilia, when I look at you, what I see is a kind hearted girl who would do anything to help out everyone else. Just remember, no matter what anyone else says, I only see that.” 

Emilia went wide eyed, and shed a single tear. She smiled wider than she had in years, and hugged Subaru, burying her head in his chest. Even the stoic Flora couldn’t help but smile at Subaru’s genuine praise for Emilia. Subaru wrapped his arms around her, and whispered so only she’d hear.

“I’ll make sure everyone knows that there’s more to you than just how you look. You can count on me.”

Roswaal had the twin maids prepare a grand feast, celebrating the hiring of Emilia's first personal knight. Flora offered to assist them, since she was trained in the kitchen at the Juukulius manor. As the three attendants prepared the feast, Roswaal had taken Subaru and Emilia up to Subaru's new great room.

"Aa~as you can see, Subaru, this is one of the finest rooms available, behind only my personal master suite and Miss Emilia's stateroom. I wouldn't want anything less for a Royal Kni~ight."

Subaru took in the amenities. Like his small suite in the Juukulius manor, a gathering area with a couch and several sofas, large bed, a water kettle with heaters, office space, and an attached bathroom, though there was a grand bath available for his use too.

Roswaal excused himself, stating "Well, why don't you two take some time to become better acquainted? You wi~ill be working together quite frequently. Subaru, I'm certain your attendant will come to inform you when dinner will be served. Please don't be la~ate!"

He left Subaru and Emilia alone in the great room, where the two settled into the sofas. "Subaru, I'm reeeally happy you are going to be my knight! No one else wanted to become my knight, for obvious reasons…" Emilia spoke with a downtrodden look, remembering the countless rejections she's received from other knights.

Puck took the moment to appear from her hair. "I'm thankful too, Subaru. Lia could use a strong knight like you to help her be more confident in herself!"

Emilia blushed, and stammered out, "H-Hey, don't go saying things like that, you blockhead!"

Subaru quipped, "Who says 'blockhead' anymore?"

Puck floated by Subaru, who happily began playing with his soft, fluffy fur. "Hee hee! That tickles, Subaru. Be careful, you don't want me to scratch you!" Puck playfully took out small claws from his spirit paws, and pretended to scratch Subaru.

"Haha! Ouch, Puck, bad kitty!" Subaru and Puck laughed while Emilia giggled at the comedic duo.

"Oh, behave, you two! Hahaha!" Emilia could barely restrain her laughter.

Puck separated himself to talk to Subaru. "So, about that spirit I told you about. I'm going to go find her, ok? Maybe after dinner she'd be willing to talk to you." Puck waved goodbye to Emilia, and floated through the ceiling.

"So, Emilia-tan, when did you find out you were a candidate?" Subaru looked at her quizzically.

Emilia replied, "Well, I was in the Elior Forest with Puck, when Roswaal found us. He asked me to hold the insignia, and it glowed red. So, he said he'd sponsor my candidacy, and brought me to live here. I've been studying up on Lugnican history and politics since...Hey, wait, where'd the -tan come from?"

Subaru smiled and responded, "Oh, it's from my homeland, call it a nickname! It's a sign of affection."

Emilia blushed a little, and said, "Oh Subaru, you're silly. But, a nickname sounds nice. Ok, you can call me that. Can I call you by a nickname?"

Subaru looked elated! "Of course, Emilia-tan! Whatever you'd like to call me."

Emilia thought for a moment. "...Um...uh, sorry, Subaru. I can't think of a good one right now. B-But, I'll think of one, ok?"

Subaru laughed at her unfortunate brain fart. "No worries!"

Flora knocked on the door. She heard "Come in!", so she opened the great room she was told to go to. "Sir Subaru, Lady Emilia, dinner will be ready in 30 minutes. I believe Lady Emilia can show you the way, Sir Subaru. Is there anything I can do for you in the meantime?"

Subaru shook his head. "No, that'll be fine. We'll see you at dinner." Flora bowed and took her leave. She had heard some laughter from behind the door, and she thought, Well, if they're laughing in there, then maybe I was wrong about my assumptions.

Back in the kitchen, two maids were hard at work. Rem was busy checking how warm the beef roast was. Ram was peeling tatoes for a stew.

"Dear sister, what do you think of our new knight?"

"Sissy, I don't know. I haven't been around him yet." Rem spoke in a low, emotionless voice.

Ram glanced at her sister out of the corner of her eye. "Dear sister, please remember, Roswaal hired him, and he is a member of a noble house. Don't do anything without talking to me and Roswaal first."

"Yes, sissy."

Subaru entered the dining room after holding the door for Emilia, like a good knight. Roswaal was seated at the head of the table, on a chair large enough to be a throne. Standing on either side of Roswaal were his attendants, Ram and Rem. A girl with drill-shaped pigtails sat at Roswaal's right, playing with Puck.

Emilia took a seat across from the girl, so Subaru took the seat next to Emilia. Puck flew back over to Emilia, sitting on her shoulder facing Subaru. He got Subaru's attention to speak to him.

"Subaru, the girl across the table, she is the spirit I was talking about. She isn't very talkative, so don't expect her to talk at dinner. She did agree to meet with you surprisingly fast, though. She said to bring you to the Forbidden Library after dinner."

Subaru nodded. He looked over at the girl, who briefly looked back, before staring back at her empty plate. _So, this little girl is actually a spirit? That's interesting. She seems awfully somber for someone who looks like a little girl…_

The two maids left Roswaal's side to go into a side door. A few minutes later, they appeared with Flora carrying trays of food. Subaru was astonished. Beef, chicken, some exotic looking vegetables, and even some dessert plates. He also noticed Flora brought out a gravy boat filled with a white substance.

Subaru asked excitedly, "Flora, did you make mayo?"

Flora smiled and nodded. "They had the right ingredients, so I thought I'd make enough for everyone to try."

Subaru was so happy when he instructed her to make it 6 months ago for the first time. Flora was a natural in the kitchen.

"Subaru, what is 'mayo'?" Emilia looked quizzically at him.

Subaru gleefully replied, "Oh, it's a special condiment from my homeland. It tastes really good with meat!"

Emilia nodded, and took some of the mayo with her serving of beef. Roswaal took some with his chicken, and the girl also decided to try some. Subaru happily spread a dollop over a hunk of beef, and chowed down.

"Wow! Flora, this is your best batch yet!" Flora smiled at the Subaru's compliment.

"Mmm, Subaru, you're right, this stuff is good on meat!" Emilia was beaming at the incredible new taste.

Roswaal seemed indifferent, offering a nod. The girl offered no reaction, but she was eating it with her meats, suggesting she liked it.

Subaru felt like he was being watched during the meal. He wondered if maybe someone was watching from outside. Hopefully it's not Elsa, looking for revenge… Subaru shuddered.

The attendants sat down to eat after Subaru, Emilia and the girl finished up. Subaru and Emilia left the dining room, and he bade her good night as she waved and walked back to her room. Subaru felt a tug at his sleeve, and he saw the girl looking up at him. She motioned for him to follow her. She went up to a door right off the dining room, and opened it up to reveal a large library. It was very dusty, and filled with the stench of old books. The girl went to sit on a stool in the aisle ahead of the door. Subaru walked in, and the door automatically shut.

"Bubby said you wanted to learn more about Yin magic. So, I brought you here to see what you can do, I suppose."

The girl spoke with a low voice more characteristic of a grown woman.

Subaru had a puzzled look on his face. "'Bubby'? Is that Puck, you mean?"

The girl looked at Subaru directly. "Yes, Bubby."

She paused for a moment. "Sorry. I forgot my manners, I suppose. My name is Beatrice, and this is my Forbidden Library."

Subaru nodded and bowed. "I am Subaru, of the Royal Knights. I'm a junior knight assigned to Emilia."

Beatrice made no visible reaction. "Please stand still for a moment, please."

She raised her hand and put it over Subaru's chest. Then, he felt a strong force across him, and went down on his knee.

"Ack! What did you do?"

Beatrice turned around. "I wanted to confirm whether you were a threat or not, I suppose. I can tell you're generally honest and just want to impress the brat. Also, you are contracted to 3 lesser spirits, and have experience casting Shamac and Minya. You weren't lying about your Yin affinity to Bubby, I suppose."

Subaru stood up after Beatrice's trick. "I drained a small amount of your mana. I hope it wasn't too painful, I suppose."

Beatrice led Subaru over to a side of the library. There was some extra space where someone could conceivably cast some magic.

"There are more forms of Yin magic beyond what you know, but you probably knew that, I suppose. The next most advanced spell would be Drosta. Watch me carefully. I don't like repeating myself, I suppose."

Beatrice turned around and held her hand out at a small dummy made of paper.

"Drosta."

A shadow surrounded the dummy, and began pulling it down to the ground. The spell faded when Beatrice put her hand down.

"As long as you concentrate, Drosta will hold onto your enemy, dragging them to the ground. Running and jumping become near impossible for a being with normal human strength. You can use El, Ul, and Al for beings with greater strength, if you have the mana resources."

Subaru lifted his hand and aimed at the dummy.

Beatrice interrupted his motion. "Before you get any ideas, don't use anything beyond the base spell. You might damage some of the other stuff here, I suppose."

Subaru nodded, saddened by the lack of trust shown by the drill loli.

"Drosta."

Subaru's spirit lit up as shadows began dragging the dummy down. After a few seconds, Subaru released the spell to conserve his spirit's mana.

"Not bad. You have some talent as a spirit arts user, I suppose."

Beatrice maintained an air of aloofness, as though nothing really mattered to her.

"Beatrice, how many spells are there in Yin magic? I was just wondering."

She turned around, with a mildly annoyed look. "Bubby only asked me to teach you a new spell, not give you a full Yin training course. However, I'm feeling generous today, so I'll tell you about some other spells, I suppose." Her annoyed expression softened after saying this.

"There are 3 primary forms of Yin magic, I suppose. Shamac belongs to the 'battle breaking' branch of Yin. Minya is part of the attack branch. There is another branch for battlefield control, which includes Drosta. Battle breaking is about fighting against a few opponents, while battlefield control is what you would use as a battalion's offense or defense coordinator, fighting an army of opponents. Each branch has 3 spells, though Minya is the only 'true' attack spell of the attack branch. Perhaps sometime I can teach you all the spells. For now, I'll tell you their names, I suppose."

"Shamac, Muddle, and Lethargy are the battle breaking spells. Minya, Drain, and Umbrance are the attack spells. Drosta, Malos, and Neutrino are the battlefield control spells. For a quick summation: Muddle inhibits an opponent's reactions; Lethargy can knock out a single opponent, at a very high mana cost; Drain weakens your opponent while strengthening you; Umbrance calls a single shadowy hand to strike or grab something; Malos physically weakens a group; Finally, Neutrino affects gravity over a very wide area." Beatrice was practically beaming at her knowledge of Yin, wearing a smug smile.

Subaru looked like a child learning about the dinosaurs for the first time. "Wow! That's really impressive. You know a lot about Yin magic! Thanks, Beako!"

Beatrice turned to face Subaru, saying, "It was no problem-Wait, what did you call me?"

Subaru smiled like a pestering child, and said, "Beako! I wanted something more affectionate to address you, since you've been so helpful to me, and out of the kindness of your heart, too!"

Beatrice was both upset and happy at the same time, and it annoyed the living daylights out of her.

"The gratefulness is acceptable, I suppose, but no one gave you permission to call me by that name!"

She looked like she was throwing a tantrum, and it made Subaru chuckle in delight.

"Ok, ok, Beatrice. Maybe some other time."

"You can leave now, in fact!" The power of the library ejected Subaru straight out the door, despite not even standing in front of it.

"Machu Picchu!"

Subaru collected himself and stood up. He was back in his great room. [Heh, she acted so angry at my teasing, but she was nice enough to magically send me back to my room. She must really enjoy having a fun visitor!] Subaru gave a large, self-satisfied smile.

"Good Evening, Sir Subaru. We wondered when you would arrive back at your room. We brought some evening tea for you."

Subaru turned around to see the twin maids, Ram and Rem.

"Ah, yes, thank you both very much. I don't believe we've been introduced. As you already know, I'm Subaru. What're your names?"

The twins bowed in a rehearsed fashion.

"I am Ram. This is my sister, Rem. We look forward to serving you, Sir Barusu."

"Wait, when did my name become a locker room joke?" Subaru deadpanned.

Ram shot a smirk at Subaru, before saying, "Have a good evening Sir, we'll have your attendant wake you before breakfast is served." The maids bowed again, and left the room.

Ram and Rem walked down to the servant's hall. Ram looked at her younger twin, and noticed the tense look in her eye. Deciding she needed to say something, she asked, "Dear sister, is something the matter?"

Rem responded tensely in a hushed tone, "Sissy, he definitely smelled like them. I fear we may be in danger."

"Rem, I understand how you feel. Don't forget, several knights have vouched for him before the Commander of the Royal Knights. Lord Roswaal has already told me we can trust him." Ram kept a calm, but stern tone.

Rem could barely restrain her voice, "Sissy...I still want to keep an eye on him…"

"Just keep calm, dear sister. If you see him doing anything suspicious, come tell me and Lord Roswaal first." Ram spoke with finality in her voice.

"Yes, sissy," Rem said robotically, disguising her disgust.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks everyone for reading! No major action today, but Subaru and Emilia start off on the right foot as Subaru decides, without no evidence besides her words, she has to be a good person, and nothing like the Witch of Envy. I plan to post every Tuesday in the evening in Central U.S. Time. Let me know what you think of the story so far!


	7. First Day on the Job

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Subaru is ready to make Emilia happy on his first day as a personal knight! Hopefully he doesn't mess up!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I updated Chapter 5 to include what was going to be this week's chapter. It was so short, it made no sense to keep it separate from the rest of the chapter. So go back and reread before you read this chapter! It starts with, "Roswaal had the twin maids prepare a grant feast..."

**...love you, love you, love you, Subaru...Stay with me, Subaru, forever...My only love, for all eternity…**

Subaru shot up in his bed, covered in sweat, hollering, "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

Subaru held his head as he cradled against his legs. His door flung open, and Flora rushed in.

"Sir Subaru! Are you alright? Do you require medical assistance?" Flora was panicked as she ran over to his bedside.

Subaru barely shook his head, as he calmed down from the nightmare imagery. "I'm s-sorry, Flora. I'm ok. It was just a nightmare. I'll be fine in a few minutes."

This was far from the first time Flora had run in on Subaru after a nightmare. She sat down beside him, and offered him her shoulder. He leaned over and accepted Flora's motherly gesture. Over the 2 years she'd worked with him, despite not being his full time attendant until recently, she had grown to see him as something of a son she never had. Despite only being around 10 years older than him, seeing him like this always activated her otherwise-dormant motherly instincts. Subaru, in turn, felt like Flora helped fill the hole in his heart that developed when he realized he may never see his real mother again.

After a few minutes, Flora got up to grab a face towel from the bathroom. She brought it to Subaru so he could wipe the sweat off.

"Sir Subaru...you haven't seen any visions lately, have you?"

Subaru looked back up at her, feeling more calm. "No, Flora, I haven't. Not since the loot house incident."

Flora nodded. "Very good. I was just waiting outside the door for a minute before waking you for breakfast. It will be served in 30 minutes. I'll see you in the dining room, Sir Subaru." She left the room, and Subaru got up and stretched out. Today would be his first day as Emilia's knight, and he intended to do almost anything she requested.

All suited up, Subaru walked down to the dining hall. He happened to run into Beatrice while walking, and waved at her and greeted her. "Good morning! You wanna walk with me down to breakfast?"

Beatrice was taken aback by his happy-go-lucky attitude. "I can make my way down to the dining room myself." She looked up at him, and saw the expectant look in his eyes.

She closed her eyes and sighed, "It does look like you could be lost, so I'll just have to walk with you to guide you there, I suppose."

Subaru smiled wide, and responded, "Great! Thank you for walking with me, Beako!"

Her forehead bulged slightly as she retorted, "That is not my name, I suppose! You have strange priorities if you can take to heart casting Yin magic but can't even remember a Great Spirit's name!"

She huffed and began walking away. Subaru chuckled, and followed behind his new Great Spirit friend.

Subaru and the petite spirit arrived at the dining room shortly afterward, where the maids, Flora, Emilia, and Roswaal were waiting.

"Beatrice! What a wo~onderful surprise to see you dining with us! Did Sir Subaru coax you down here?"

Beatrice shot him a glare, and responded harshly, "This boy has nothing to do with why I'm here, in fact! I simply decided to grace you with my presence, I suppose. I only arrived with him because he looked like a little lost lamb."

Beatrice huffed, as she took her usual seat at Roswaal's left. Emilia glanced over at Subaru, who smirked while giving Emilia a thumbs up. She gave a confused smile as he walked over to sit next to her.

"You know, Subaru, Beatrice never joins us for breakfast. I think this may be the first time I've seen her here with us. Did you have something to do with that?" Emilia looked at Subaru as she asked.

Subaru responded honestly, "Well, I'm not really sure. I happened upon her in the hall, and asked her to walk with me. She made up an excuse for why she should, and we walked down here." He smirked, thinking of the teasing he left out in explanation.

Emilia looked blank for a moment, and then smiled. "Well, I'm glad she could join us. I hate knowing she's constantly locked up in that library by herself."

Subaru nodded in agreement. "Yeah, we wouldn't want her to be a shut-in like I was."

Puck decided to fly out and sit on Emilia's shoulder, facing Subaru.

"I'm glad too! I've tried to convince her so many times. Maybe I'm finally getting through to her! Of course, it's possible she took a liking to you, Subaru. She interacts with almost no one besides me. The fact she was willing to walk down here with you is proof enough of that! And thanks as well, Subaru, for having her walk with you. She really needs to make some friends." Puck floated over to Subaru so that he could get some Puck petting in before going to play with Beatrice.

After breakfast, Subaru followed Emilia back to her stateroom, where she would study for the rest of the morning. "Well Subaru, here's where I do my studying. It's not a big desk like Roswaal's, but I have enough room to get things done."

Subaru asked, "Well, Emilia-tan, is there anything I can do to help you right now?"

Emilia thought for a moment, before she responded with, "Actually, yes! I have some letters I need to have sent. Could you take these and have the mail bird send these off to the capitol?"

Subaru smiled and took the letters. "My first official assignment from Miss Emilia! I'll do it right away. Is there anything else you'll need, or should I check back before lunch?"

Emilia smiled and responded, "No, that'll be fine. Actually, if you came to find me before lunch, I'd be happy to walk with you down to the dining room."

Subaru adopted a toothy grin, and gave a thumbs up as he said, "You got it, Emilia-tan! I'll see you later, then!"

_Letters, huh? There must be at least 20 here! Emilia-tan must have to communicate with a lot of people,_ Subaru thought.

"Well, she is a busy woman, after all! She's a Royal Candidate." A voice from above spoke as if in response to his thought.

Subaru replied, "Yeah I guess that makes sense...wait, who was that and how'd you read my mind?"

Subaru looked around, only to realize there was a snickering cat spirit above his head.

"Hee hee! Sorry Subaru, I was bored and didn't want to distract Lia from her studies. I could tell what you were thinking by how you were looking at the letters!"

Subaru rolled his eyes before chuckling along with Puck. "Oh, you! Well, I guess you could come out with me as I practice in the courtyard. I just have to send these off first!"

"Sounds fun to me Subaru!" Puck landed on his shoulder and went with Subaru.

After sending the letters off, Subaru and Puck stood in the courtyard. He saw Flora following around Ram and Rem, learning how to trim the hedges around the manor. The three saw Subaru pass by, and bowed. Subaru found a nice empty space far from the building, and set up a large training dummy.

"Hey Puck, how'd you like to help me with my magic practice?"

Puck got a gleam in his eye, and responded, "Sure! What did you have in mind? Maybe you want to learn how to dodge icicles from a Great Spirit?"

Puck took on a faux-terror look, as Subaru urgently waved back, "No, no, I'm ok! Actually, I've been practicing combining my shield with Huma, to guard against both physical and magic attacks at the same time. I was gonna ask you to shoot a few crystals while I practiced defending!"

Puck laughed. "Ok, Subaru! I can do that."

Subaru raised his shield, and said, "Huma!" A barrier of ice appeared in front of his shield, forming a secondary shield on top of it.

Puck shouted, "Ok! Defend yourself!"

Puck shot out a few crystals at a time, as Subaru blocked each hit. "You're doing great, Subaru! I'm gonna speed up just a little!"

Puck increased the number of crystals he summoned at a time, and Subaru adopted a new stance to move his shield faster. After a few minutes, Puck shouted, "You're pretty good at this, Subaru! Why don't we take a break for now, though?"

Puck ceased his crystals, and Subaru lowered his shield. No longer concentrating on his shield, the magical ice vanished.

Subaru sat down on a nearby bench and started to absent-mindedly pet Puck, as the cat spirit playfully purred in his lap. "Subaru, how long have you practiced your shield technique?"

Subaru looked to the side for a moment before responding, "Well, shielding in general for 2 years, but I came up with that particular combo about 6 months ago. Julius wanted me to learn how to combine my spirit arts and my physical abilities together."

Puck got up and looked impressed. "That's really cool. Even for as long as I've been around, I've never seen anyone use magical shields and physical shields at the same time by themselves before."

Subaru smiled, proud of himself. "I guess before long they'll call me the Shield Hero!"

Puck laughed, and while Subaru was busy looking proud of himself, he shot a burst of water at Subaru.

"H-Hey! No fair!"

Puck laughed even harder, before saying, "I think you really needed to get knocked down a peg, Sir 'Shield Hero'!"

In the meantime, a certain blue haired maid was watching as she strategically trimmed bushes that just so happened to let her face in Subaru's direction. She wasn't certain why the spirit seemed so eager to be around him.

While Ram was (very poorly) trying to teach Flora proper trimming technique, Flora couldn't help but notice Rem's intense stare in her master's direction. She started to become suspicious of the blue maid's agitated gaze.

"Excuse me, Rem? Is something the matter?" Rem spun around, surprised by Flora's silent approach.

"N-No, nothing is wrong. Forgive Rem, she was lost in thought about what to make for lunch." Rem bowed her head, and began working on a bush with Ram, tidying up after Ram's butchery of the bushes.

Flora walked away to start sweeping the courtyard's great porches. Ram stopped for a moment, and caught Rem's gaze.

"Rem. Please don't worry Sir Barusu's attendant like that. I think maybe it would be best for you to work inside for a while."

Rem widened her eyes, before returning to her neutral face and lowering her head.

"Yes, sissy. Sorry, sissy. Rem will start dusting inside."

Rem left to go inside per her older sister's instructions. Ram closed her eyes, and sighed. She went to join Flora in sweeping the porches.

Puck was cheering on Subaru as he attacked the training dummy with a mixture of shield bashing and slashing.

"Yeah Subaru! Show that dummy what for!"

"Cheering me on against a dummy isn't exactly helpful!"

Puck continued to laugh and cheer as a red faced Subaru kept training. Eventually, Subaru put his weapons up, unable to continue.

"Ok...hah...I think that's enough for now. I can't believe I kept that up for 30 minutes while you were making fun of me!"

Puck smiled as he sat down on Subaru's shoulder. "Aww, come on. You invited me out here, and now you're rejecting my friendship? What ever would Lia-or, rather, ~Emilia-tan~ think if she thought you made me sad?"

Subaru turned a bright red, and stammered out, "Ok! Ok! I give up! I'm sorry! Please don't tell her I made you sad!"

Puck laughed at Subaru's panic. "Haha! Don't worry, Subaru. I had a good time. I think it's about time for lunch. How about we go get Lia so she can walk you down to lunch like she said she would?"

Subaru vigorously wagged his head up and down. "Finally, we're on the same page here!"

As Subaru and Puck made their way to Emilia's stateroom, Subaru felt like a set of eyes were closely watching him.

"Hey, Puck, do you feel like someone's staring at you?" Subaru spoke with a hint of nervousness.

Puck put his paw on his chin, before answering, "No, but I definitely feel like someone's staring at _you_. Maybe you smell bad today?"

Subaru waved his arms up and down, almost shouting, "I took a bath this morning, ok? I shouldn't smell at all!"

Puck laughed again, and then the duo arrived at the stateroom. Subaru knocked on the door.

"Oh! Come on in!" Subaru opened the door, and found Emilia laying on a couch with a book in her hands.

"Hey Puck, hey Baru-tan, is it time for lunch?"

Puck nodded, but Subaru stopped in shock. "'Baru-tan'? Is that my new nickname?"

Emilia smiled and said, "Yup! What do you think? I think it sounds great!"

Subaru sank inside just a little, thinking, _I mean, it's a little on the boring side, mostly just doing what I did, but I guess that's better than no nickname!_

He smiled wide. "Any nickname coming from you is amazing, Emilia-tan! 'Baru-tan' it is!" Emilia seemed very happy her nickname earned Subaru's approval. "Alright Emilia-tan, let's go get some lunch!"

Beatrice looked out the window. She saw the sun shining, the birds chirping, and some very annoying bugs on the windowsill, too far away to shoo.

"...I'll go to lunch, I suppose. Maybe Bubby and that boy will be there. If Bubby isn't entertaining enough, watching the boy make a fool of himself should make up for it."

As she walked down the corridor, to save her mana, she saw the blue-haired maid, looking very distracted. She was apparently dusting, but it wouldn't take a genius to see she was doing it very half-heartedly. Beatrice continued onward without acknowledging her.

"...Something is bothering her, I suppose...if I had to guess, it's probably him…"

Subaru, Emilia and Puck arrived just outside the dining room just as Beatrice was arriving. "Hey Betty! Glad to see you're with us again!"

Beatrice smiled at Puck for a moment, before resuming her usual face. She pointed her index finger at Subaru. "Stay out here for a moment. I'd like to talk to you for a bit."

Emilia and Puck were stunned, but Subaru nodded, and they went ahead and went inside the dining room.

The door closed, and Beatrice held the palm of her hand out at the door. It flashed for a moment, before going back to looking like a normal door again.

"Enter with me." Beatrice opened the door to reveal the Forbidden Library where it had once led to the dining room.

Subaru followed behind Beatrice, who closed the door behind them with magic. She sat down on her usual stool.

"What did you do to annoy the blue haired maid?"

Subaru stood shocked at the sudden accusation. "Huh? What do you mean? The only time I've interacted with her was last night, she and Ram had brought some tea up to my room. They wished me good night, and left."

Beatrice narrowed her eyes. "Are you sure you didn't do anything else that could've been perceived as annoying?"

Subaru shrugged his shoulders. "I mean, under your definition, it could've been anything, so maybe I did?"

Beatrice annoyedly yelled at him, "You really enjoy slandering me, I suppose?! I need you to be serious for a moment."

Beatrice looked very seriously at Subaru. "I'm trying to figure out why she seems to dislike you so much. Every time I've seen her, she was trying to be in spots where she knew you'd walk by, and she glared at you. This is not normal behavior from her, I suppose."

Subaru was in disbelief. "I-I don't know! I really haven't done anything beyond the one interaction with her! I'm being completely honest here!"

Beatrice continued to stare seriously at him, before closing her eyes and sighing. "You're telling the truth, I suppose. Maybe it has something to do with the way you smell."

"Oh, come on! Puck already claimed I smelled bad! You too?!"

Beatrice resumed her serious look. "That is not what I mean. Your personal scent is not the issue. You have the scent of the Witch."

Subaru stopped yelling after this revelation. "The-the Witch? But...why?"

Beatrice shook her head. "I haven't a single clue why you could smell like her, except to hazard a guess that she favors you somehow. Normally the scent is only present on Witch Cultists or Sin Archbishops, but I have reason to believe you're neither of those, I suppose. You wouldn't have made it into the knighthood with that kind of hidden secret. I also would've noticed when I drained your mana."

Beatrice stood up from her stool. "It can't be helped, I suppose. At least I know you didn't antagonize her now. Let's go to lunch before we're missed, I suppose."

She raised her hand at the door, and it flashed. When the door opened, they stepped into the hall directly across from the dining room. The Forbidden Library closed behind them, and Subaru followed Beatrice into the dining room, where lunch was just being delivered to the table.

Subaru and Beatrice took their usual seats. Puck went over to her. "Hey Betty, what were you talking to Subaru about?"

Beatrice appeared to think for a moment. She looked over at Subaru, and then sighed. "I'll tell you after lunch, I suppose, Bubby."

Puck looked quizzically at her, then Subaru, then shrugged and went back over to Emilia. The rest of lunch went by as expected, aside from a certain maid keeping a watchful eye on a certain boy.

After lunch, Emilia and Subaru were sitting down under a large, ornate gazebo. "Thanks for joining me for my after-lunch relaxation, Baru-tan. Since Puck went to talk to Beatrice, I would've had to spend it alone if you hadn't agreed to go with me. The afternoon breeze is refreshing, don't you think?"

Emilia looked over to find Subaru, lost in thought. "Baru-tan? ...Subaru?"

Upon hearing his name, he snapped back into reality. "Oh, sorry, Emilia-tan! I was really thinking there for a moment. Yeah, the breeze is refreshing! Relaxing after lunch is a great idea." He only sort of heard what she said, so he bluffed and hoped for the best.

Emilia rolled her eyes at his obvious deception. "If you say so, you square."

Subaru quipped, "Who calls anyone a 'square' anymore?"

Emilia felt Subaru was really distracted by something. _Maybe it has something to do with what Beatrice talked to him about. Did she do something mean to him?_ Emilia frowned.

"Hey Baru-tan, is everything ok?"

He turned to look at her. "For the most part, yeah. Why do you ask, Emilia-tan?"

She looked seriously at him. "'For the most part'? So, what's not ok, then?"

Subaru gulped, unsure of what to say. Thankfully, his savior came in the form of a cat-shaped gadfly.

"Hey Lia and Subaru! Whatcha two talking about? Is it about how soft and cuddly I am?" He grinned practically from ear to ear as he teased them.

"Puck! I'm trying to have a serious conversation here!" Emilia huffed.

Puck floated down to sit between Emilia and Subaru. "Yeah, yeah. Anyway, I just got done talking to Betty. I just wanted to come share my thoughts with the both of you."

Emilia and Subaru both raised an eyebrow, but looked attentively.

"She's concerned because Subaru has the scent of the Witch, but she also says there's no way he can be a Witch Cultist or a Sin Archbishop, so she's totally confused about it. At the moment, though, she believes that Subaru is a good person."

Emilia gave a blank look to Puck. "The scent of the Witch?"

Puck looked down. "Ah, sorry, Lia, we never talked about the Witch Cult much. Normally, the cultists and their leaders are marked by a 'scent of the Witch' that identifies them to each other as well as certain beings with heightened senses who've been affected by their activities. Beatrice...well, has been exposed to the Witches of Sin before, so she knows about it."

Emilia looked stunned. "So...he has this scent, but he's still a good person? Right?"

Puck nodded enthusiastically. "Yup! I can tell he's a good person too. I'm 100% sure of it!"

Emilia appeared relieved. "Well, that makes me feel better! Is that why you were worried, Baru-tan? Were you afraid we'd think you were a bad person?" Subaru looked at them both, unsure of what to say.

In a window high above the courtyard, a maid was staring down with hatred in her eyes.

"His scent...so strong...he has to be a part of the cult...why did he come here, was killing our family and tribe not enough, does he have to kill me and my sissy, too?" She was positively shaking, talking quietly to herself.

"Is that why...he follows her around so zealously? How is she so _blind_ to it?"

Elsewhere in the mansion, a clown-faced man sat in a chair, facing toward a great window. "I wonder, Su~ubaru...how will you deal with your first real threat at the mansion?" He smiled, as a maid walked up behind him.

"Master Roswaal. You asked for me?"

He turned to face his personal attendant, Ram. "Ha~ave you talked to your sister about our new knight?"

Ram nodded. Roswaal smiled wider. "Very good. Please instruct her to deliver evening tea and cookies for Miss Emilia and her knight after dinner. I'm certain the~ey will appreciate having refreshments as they talk." Ram nodded, and left.

Back down in the courtyard, Emilia decided she wanted to watch Subaru practice for a while before she returned to her studies. Puck had agreed that getting away from her studies for a bit was not a bad idea.

Puck was facing Subaru, with some ice crystals floating around. "Are you sure about this, Subaru? I'm not sure you're fast enough to dodge my attacks yet. You want to go without your shield?"

Subaru gave a big thumbs up and said, "Of course! Everyone knows that a great knight can defeat projectiles with a sword! I just have to slice them in half as they head to me!"

Puck frowned. "Subaru...I'm not sure what to say here, except, where did you get that idea from? Maybe someone like the Sword Saint could use a sword in that manner, but no normal person can! Even that murderer from the loot house, with her crazy fast reflexes and heightened strength, was dodging my attacks. She probably would've been skewered if she'd tried what you're suggesting!"

Subaru was visibly taken aback by Puck's complete destruction of his idea. _I don't get it! Every hero in every anime could do that! I can't believe it's not a thing in this world..._ Subaru put his sword back in its sheath, and went to pick up his shield. "Um...yeah, I guess I don't know where I got that idea either? I just thought maybe one could do that."

Puck sighed. "Well, it would be a creative solution, if it worked...but it just doesn't!"

After about 15 minutes of shielding practice, Subaru was totally exhausted from blocking and dodging. Subaru sat down on a bench as he panted, as Emilia patted him on the shoulder.

"Wow Baru-tan, you did really good against Puck! I can't think of anyone else who could last that long against a barrage like that. I'm seriously impressed!" Emilia beamed in admiration of her new knight.

Subaru felt more like a boy being praised by his mom than a knight by his lady. Nevertheless, he thought, _Yes! I impressed her! I just hope she can start seeing me as a man and not a child!_

After Subaru finally caught his breath, Emilia informed him she needed to go back to her studies. Subaru bade her and Puck farewell, while he went to practice sword swings against his training dummy.

"Man, this has been a good day so far! It might just be my first day working for Emilia-tan, but I can't remember the last time I was so happy about being productive!"

As Subaru wrapped up his practice, he realized something. "I took on this job without telling any of my friends! I need to write some letters to Julius, Rein, and Ferris. Maybe I should write one to Miss Kar-er, Crusch, too? To let her know I've decided to work for Emilia? Maybe I can just let Ferris tell her…"

Subaru decided it was only fair to write a personal letter to Crusch, since she seemed to have high hopes of recruiting him. _I wonder why she wanted to recruit me so much? Just because of my spirit affinity, maybe?_ Subaru shook his head. He went back to his quarters in hopes of finding Flora.

Upon entering his room, he found Flora at the large desk, preparing some written documents. She looked up as he entered. "Welcome back, Sir Subaru. Is there anything I can do to assist you?"

Subaru smiled and nodded. "Yeah! Flora, can you help me draft some letters to my friends?"

Flora smiled. "I was wondering if you would think about it so soon. I was going to wait until tomorrow to ask you about that. Why don't you sit down, and we'll get some letters ready?"

Rem was in the hallway, dusting the window sills near Subaru's great room.

_Letters? To his friends? The WITCH CULT?_ She practically growled as she thought. Her dusting became erratic, and began to send dust flying instead of collecting it.

_Not on my watch, you damn cultist! I won't let you hurt us again!_ Rem stopped dusting and made her way to go find her sister.

"...and looks like you got this letter right, too! You've really learned how to write Lugnican, Sir Subaru. I may be able to let you write letters on your own soon!" Flora beamed with pride for her master.

Subaru beamed as well. Just over 2 years ago, he had no idea how to even read, much less write Lugnican, and now he was nearly as good as a native of the language. "Thanks, Flora! It's all thanks to your help. Let's go have these letters sent!"

Flora held up a finger. "No need to worry, Sir Subaru. I'll take care of the letters. I saw how hard you were practicing outside. Go ahead and rest for a few minutes, and I'll come back up with some iced tea." Flora bowed, and left the room.

Later in the day, Subaru ate dinner with everyone. Beatrice surprised everyone by once again attending the dinner. Puck even teased her about it, "Betty, are you sure you aren't coming here to see Subaru?"

Beatrice huffed and replied, "I merely felt like being here. Is it so wrong to socialize with the other residents of the mansion, I suppose?"

After dinner, Emilia invited Subaru to join her for a little while in her room. They walked together while Subaru praised the quality of the food served at the mansion. After a little while, they arrived at her room. Emilia motioned for Subaru to sit down on a sofa near a magic fireplace. Emilia took a seat right next to him, making Subaru blush just a tiny bit.

Emilia looked at him as she spoke. "So, Baru-tan, how was your first day here? I hope no one gave you any trouble! Especially Puck, I know how much of a prankster he can be when he's bored!"

Subaru smiled warmly and answered, "Oh, it was great, Emilia-tan! Puck was actually really helpful in my training today. I also wrote some letters to my friends back in the capital city. I want them to know about my great new job!"

Emilia put her hand on Subaru's arm as she said, "Well that's just dandy! I'm glad everything went well for you today, Baru-tan."

Subaru blushed as he quipped, "Who even says "dandy" unironically anymore?"

They both heard a knock at the door.

"Miss Emilia, I've come to bring you some evening refreshments. May I enter?"

Emilia quickly took her hand off Subaru's arm and said, "Yes, come on in!"

Rem entered, carrying a tray holding a teapot, 2 cups and saucers, and a small platter of tea cookies. She set the cups down in front of Subaru and Emilia, and the platter behind both cups. She then set up the pot on a small candle-warmed stand so the tea wouldn't get cold.

She bowed and said, "Please enjoy your refreshments. I'll pick up the dishes tomorrow before breakfast. Have a good evening." Rem turned around and left, trying to hide her furrowed brow.

Emilia asked Subaru several questions about his time in the capital training, his spirit arts, and some questions about himself. Eventually, the last remnants of the sun were gone from the sky, and it was starting to get late.

"I'm sorry, Baru-tan, but I think it's time for me to get ready for bed. I like to wake up early to read a little before breakfast." Emilia gave a sympathetic frown as she had to kick Subaru out.

"No problem, Emilia-tan. Have a good night, I'll see you at breakfast!" Subaru smiled as he left the room.

Subaru elected to use his personal bathroom to freshen up. He still wasn't totally used to the idea of communal baths, and even back in Japan he and his family never visited shared facilities like hot springs. After a soak in the tub, he put on one of the night outfits that had been provided for him. _I'm sure glad that knights get luxury treatment in this world_ , Subaru thought.

Subaru sat at his desk, recording his thoughts for the day. A gentle knock alerted him to the presence of a visitor.

"Sir Barusu, please allow me to enter for a moment."

Subaru quipped, "Again with the locker room jokes? Enter!"

Ram entered the room, wearing a conservative nighttime gown. Without any hesitation, she sat down on a chair near the desk. "Sir Barusu, normally I don't intrude on those above my station like this, so I hope you'll forgive me. However, I urgently need to talk to you."

Subaru tilted his head. "Um, sure, what's up?"

Ram took on a serious face. "My sister has some serious concerns about you. I want to ask you a few questions to help me allay those concerns. Lord Roswaal trusts you, and that's good enough for me, but my sister can be tricky at times. Also, answer truthfully. I'm very good at telling when people are lying to me."

Subaru took a small, inaudible gulp. "Um, ok, if it'll help her see that I'm trustworthy, then that's totally fine. I don't want any of you to think I'm a bad person."

Ram nodded. "My first question: How long have you been a knight, and how long did you train?"

"Well, I was knighted a few weeks ago, given the title Junior Royal Knight. Before then, I trained for around 2 years at the Juukulius manor."

Ram continued. "Very good. Did you know Miss Emilia for long before you helped her at that loot house?"

Subaru looked straight at Ram and said, "No, the loot house incident is how we met in the first place. She cried out that she lost her insignia, and Julius and I went to aid her."

Ram nodded again. "Third question. How long have you been in Lugnica?"

Subaru began to sweat at the brow a bit. "This is going to be hard to explain, but I arrived in the capital city with no idea how I got there, and got taken in the same day by Julius, where I began training as a knight. I've basically trained since I first arrived here."

Ram raised an eyebrow before responding, "I don't think you're lying. It does sound suspicious, but stranger things have happened. Follow up question: What country did you live in before you strangely ended up in Lugnica?"

Subaru didn't know how to explain Japan. _This isn't even the same world, is it? There isn't a country called 'Lugnica' anywhere there. At least, I don't remember hearing about it in geography?_ Subaru cursed himself for being a poor student.

"I'm not sure you'll believe me, but the name of the country I lived in before this one was called Japan." Subaru lowered his head, having revealed his origins for the first time. He hasn't even told Julius, Rein, or Ferris about where he came from!

Ram stared at Subaru for a few minutes, silently thinking about Subaru's answer. "'Japan'? I've never heard of that country. There are only 4 countries I know of: Lugnica, the eastern kingdom, where we live; Kararagi, the western country; Gusteko, to the North; and Vollachia, the southern empire. Surrounding our four countries is the Great Waterfall. Nothing has been beyond there aside from legendary figures such as Volcanica, the divine dragon. Are you suggesting you might be from beyond the waterfall?"

Subaru wasn't sure how to answer, but he tried. "I, um, guess so? I didn't live in any of these countries before I ended up in Lugnica."

Ram sighed. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you were looney. Surprisingly, I still believe you. I think this will be enough for now. I will speak with my sister and tell her I think you're trustworthy. We'll still be watching, but know that I'll trust you for now, Sir Barusu. Don't make me regret it."

Ram got up and went to the door with just as little hesitation as she did entering. She reached the door, and turned around. "Good night, Sir Barusu."

Subaru watched as she left. He felt a wave of relief over him, knowing that at least the one of the maid twins trusted him. Feeling more comfortable, he decided to go to bed.

In the middle of the night, Emilia shot up in bed. She had tears down her face, and was sweating like she'd been running. _I don't feel so great…_ Emilia closed her eyes for a moment as she thought, before deciding to get out of bed.

"Maybe...would Baru-tan be willing to talk for a little this late? I hate to wake him, but I don't think I'll be able to get back to sleep right away…" Emilia trailed off as she spoke to herself. She decided to get her house shoes on, and she went to go wake Subaru up.

Subaru stirred as he heard a knock on his door. Emilia quietly opened up his door, hoping he was still awake. She looked in to see him in bed, facing toward the door. She suddenly had second thoughts, and began to close the door when Subaru spoke up.

"Emilia?...Is that you? You can come in if you need something…" Subaru spoke half asleep.

"S-Sorry for waking you, Baru-tan...I had a nightmare. Can I talk to you for a little while?"

Subaru rolled onto his back, stretched his arms out, and sat up in bed. "Yeah, sure, Emilia-tan. We can talk for a little while." He motioned for her to come over, and Emilia went over to sit on the edge of his bed.

"Baru-tan...can...you hold me, for a few minutes?"

Subaru was stunned by her direct request. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder, and she leaned right into his chest, and began to quietly sob. He gently rubbed her shoulder, as she nuzzled her face against him. Gradually, she began to sob less, and sat upright again, though still in Subaru's one-armed embrace.

"Thanks, Subaru...I haven't been comforted like that by anyone since I lost my aunt many years ago. That's what my nightmare was about...I really, really miss her, Subaru."

Emilia's eyes shined in the sliver of moonlight reflecting off a mirror. Through those eyes, Subaru could see Emilia for how she was right then: Vulnerable, scared, and desperately in need of someone she could trust. Her weary gaze was that of someone who bore the weight of the world in guilt, even though she almost certainly did nothing wrong enough to earn it.

Subaru pulled her in just a little closer again, and spoke in the same quiet voice his father used to use to encourage him.

"I understand what you mean...I was pulled away from my parents a little more than 2 years ago. Sometimes I think about how much I miss them...and how much they probably miss me. I wouldn't be surprised to hear they're still looking for me...and they'll never find me." Subaru closed his eyes, as he reminded himself of the horrible truth of being yanked across time and space to Lugnica.

Emilia turned to face Subaru. She never imagined that anyone could understand how she felt, and now her brand-new knight could almost perfectly relate. _Is this why he was willing to be my knight? Could he sense a kindred spirit in me?_

Subaru opened his eyes, to see her looking right at him. The two stared at each other for a moment, before both turned red, and started giggling. As they giggled, Emilia wrapped both of her arms around Subaru, as he did the same. They continued to giggle quietly for a few minutes, enjoying the new bond of trust developing between them.

_She's so soft...and surprisingly warm. It's like hugging a firm teddy bear._ Subaru was close to overloaded by the stimulation of hugging Emilia. He'd never been so close to a woman in his life.

Emilia's grip around him began to loosen, but rather than get out of the embrace, she remained against him. Subaru realized she was drifting back to sleep.

"Emilia-tan? Are you ok?" Subaru asked quietly. Her silence confirmed that she was asleep. He gently laid her down on the bed as he got up to put on his house shoes. _I guess I'll need to carry her back to her room._

Unknown to Subaru, someone was up, slowly walking through the halls, moving towards the great rooms. As the unknown person wandered, the sound of dragging chains could be heard reverberating through the halls…

Subaru went to try and pick up Emilia. While he tried, his attempt ended up waking Emilia from her sleep.

"S-Subaru? Oh-oh no, I fell asleep, didn't I?" Emilia covered her face with a hand.

Subaru couldn't suppress a small chuckle. "It's ok, Emilia-tan. Here, let me walk you back to your room. Here I thought I'd have to carry you!"

Emilia used Subaru's hand to get up, and she held on as they walked to his door. Emilia smiled and said, "Thanks, Baru-tan. You're so nice to me. I'm glad you're going to be my knight. I'd hoped I could have a knight who'd also be my friend."

_Oof, I'm already friend-zoned by Emilia-tan!_ Subaru smiled at himself for his dumb thought. _Being friends is just the first step, and she definitely likes me on at least a base level._

However, right as they were about to open the door, they heard a sound.

*CLINK* *CLANK*

Subaru and Emilia froze. Subaru motioned Emilia to go beside the door, where she'd be behind it when it opened. He quietly grabbed the dagger on his nightstand, and went to the door.

Subaru slowly opened the door, and peeked out. He didn't see anything to the left or right. He pulled back, and as he did, a morningstar came flying within an inch of his face. Emilia screamed as she watched the spiked ball fly by Subaru, and he dived to the ground on the opposite side of the door. They heard harried, heavy breathing as they scrambled to get away from the door.

"Stay still, you damn cultist! You and...and...HER! I should've known when I smelled your scent, you were even invited by her here, to become her knight…"

Emilia was so shocked she couldn't speak. Subaru exclaimed, "What are you talking about? I didn't come here specifically to become a knight! It was offered and I thought it sounded nice! What else is there to it?!"

"SHUT UP, CULTIST!"

Subaru rolled sideways as the morningstar flew to the spot he'd just been in.

"Emilia! We need to get out of here!" Subaru kicked a window out of its frame, picked up Emilia and tossed her up onto the windowsill. Emilia stuck out her hand and helped Subaru climb up. The two jumped, falling only a story, and landed on the manor's surprisingly soft lawn.

"Come on, Emilia, I need to get you as far as possible from our attacker! Let's run out into the forest. We should be able to turn at some point and end up in the nearby village. Perhaps I can convince one of the villagers at this hour to offer us shelter."

Emilia opened her mouth, but Subaru quickly interjected, "I know, I know, I'll find a way to convince them to house you, too. I told you, I'd get people to not see you as a monster." Emilia blushed, and nodded as the two took off running.

Subaru and Emilia ran into the forest, trying to get away from the apparently unidentified threat. As they ran, Subaru suddenly felt an alarm from his spirits, telling him to stop immediately. Subaru grabbed Emilia's arm and brought them both to a stop.

"Hah...hah...sorry, Emilia. The spirits...they told me something dangerous was ahead. I haven't heard anything from behind, so we can slow down for now. Wait...do you hear...chattering?" Subaru took Emilia to stand behind a large tree, watching shadows in the distance.

In the distance, where Subaru couldn't quite see, a girl was talking to a bunch of beasts. One of the beasts alerted her, and she gave a nod. They all split into several directions, scattering like the wind.

Subaru watched as the shadows vanished. He motioned Emilia, and the two slowly began moving again. They took a few steps, until-

_MABEASTS MABEASTS RUN SUBARU RUN_

Before Subaru could process what the spirits told him, it was too late.

He and Emilia were quickly turned into a pile of torn up meat. Neither lived long enough to know the pain, in a cruel twist of mercy.


	8. An Evening of Healing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After dying to Mabeasts in the forest, chased by a mysterious killer, Subaru tries to figure out what went wrong and how to get through the day. He has a feeling who might have been the killer...

“...and looks like you got this letter right, too! You’ve really learned how to write Lugnican, Sir Subaru. I may be able to let you write letters on your own soon!” Flora beamed with pride at her master.

Subaru stared blankly at the letter, quill in hand. He blinked a few times, just to make sure he wasn’t dreaming, or dead. 

“Sir Subaru? Is everything ok?” She sounded concerned for her master, who until just a moment ago seemed to be happy about how well his writing was going.

Subaru shook his head. He finally realized he'd Returned by Death again.  _ I was in the forest, running from a killer in the mansion, just to get killed by mabeasts. And after having such a nice moment with Emilia-tan, too… _ Subaru turned his head down at his depressing thought.

Flora put her hand on his shoulder, causing him to perk up and look at her. She said gently, “Sir Subaru, what happened? Did you...have a vision?” 

She recognized the look on his face. He’d witnessed a horror, and it was on par with whatever he saw back in the capital mere days earlier.

Subaru took a deep breath, calming his swirling thoughts. “Flora… yes, I did. I need to go talk to Lord Roswaal. I was attacked… and I think one of the staff was responsible.”

Flora was aghast by his accusation. She thought,  _ One of the staff? But, there’s only two staff members here besides me…  _ Her face dropped when she began to connect some dots. She paused a moment before speaking.

“Sir Subaru, I have something I hadn’t thought to report to you. I might have an idea…” Flora didn’t want to lay an accusation against a fellow attendant, but she knew if Subaru witnessed an attempt on his life, he needed to know.

Subaru’s eyes widened as he worriedly asked, “Yes, Flora? What do you want to report?”

She closed her eyes before sadly reporting her suspicions. “All day, I’ve noticed my new colleague, Rem, has been staring at you. I mean, not just staring, but more like glaring. I had thought that perhaps she was just overly cautious, and was just trying to make sure the mansion was safe. If you were attacked by a staff member, then I can only imagine it was her.”

Subaru looked down, feeling a little angry, but also sadness. He couldn’t understand what would drive the maid to hate him so. At least, until he remembered what Beatrice told him.

_ Beatrice said that I smell like the Witch. Is that what drove Rem to attack me, if Flora is right in what she thinks? _ He thought long and hard to himself. He then looked at Flora and said, “Let’s find Miss Emilia and go to Lord Roswaal.”

Flora bowed, collected his letters, and exited the room with him.

Subaru and Flora walked to Emilia’s stateroom. Subaru knew there were still a couple of hours before dinner, so he had a chance to get this problem taken care of sooner rather than later. He knocked on the door, and Emilia called for them to enter.

Emilia had tears on her cheeks, and was sick with worry after Subaru told her his story of what he “saw in the future”. “Baru-tan? Are you sure?… Sh-she’s never tried to hurt anyone before, and you said you didn’t actually see her, so can we really be sure Rem tried to kill you?” 

Subaru looked very solemn, and spoke in a grave voice. “Emilia-tan...it wasn’t just me she tried to kill. She tried to kill  _ both of us,  _ just because we had met up at night time. She attacked with a morning star, and she nearly caved my skull in.”

Emilia put her hand over her mouth in disbelief. Rem had never mistreated her in any way, shape, or form. She thought,  _ Subaru’s ability saved me back at the capital, but I still don’t know if I can believe it… _

Puck chose that moment to appear. He looked at Subaru very seriously. 

“Subaru. I don’t think you’re lying to Lia, but she doesn’t know what to think about what you’ve told her. Maybe you should come back a little later? I’ll talk to her, and we can come up with a plan if we need to.” 

Subaru nodded, maintaining his serious expression, and said, “Good idea, Puck. I’ll come back later.”

With that, Subaru and Flora went to Roswaal’s office. As they were walking, they happened upon Ram, who was just exiting the staircase. She noticed Subaru and Flora, looking very nervous.

Ram stopped to talk. “Is everything alright with you two? You seem in a rush to get to Lord Roswaal’s office.” She noticed the accusatory tone in her voice, but didn’t show any emotions.

Subaru explained, “Something very serious might happen. Actually, you should come with us to Lord Roswaal. You might want to hear this, too. Well, maybe not, but you need to hear it.” 

Ram nodded, and followed the two attentively.

All three walked up to Roswaal’s office. Ram opened the door, and called inside, “Lord Roswaal, I have come with Sir Barusu and Flora. Apparently, they need to discuss something important with us.” 

Roswaal turned around in his chair, and beckoned the trio forth. “Ah, yes, Sir Subaru, ho~ow can I be of assistance to you?”

Ram turned to face Subaru, her gaze locked on his face. She thought,  _ What does he want me to know? I hope it’s not… _

Subaru took a deep breath and said, “Lord Roswaal, I have reason to believe that Rem is planning to attack me.”

Roswaal had no visible reaction to the news, but Ram’s eyes widened.

She had to restrain herself from growling. “Sir Subaru. I assume you have some form of evidence, or at least logical reasoning to back up your belief?”

Subaru turned to face her. “Ram, I haven’t had a chance to tell either of you here yet, but I have the Divine Protection of Future Sight. A vision I had brought me in contact with Emilia, and it’s how I saved her from the killer at the loot house. I had another vision, just a little while ago, where I witnessed Rem’s attempt on my life. She also seemed to want to hurt Emilia, but she didn’t explain. She attacked us using a morning star.”

Ram knew as soon as he mentioned the morning star, it was Rem. The tense look on her face faded, and looked downward.

With an amused smile, Roswaal spoke. “Ah, yes, o~of course. If your vision is true, then it does sound like our lovely little Rem is planning to attack you. This is most unexpected, Sir Su~ubaru. Ho~ow do you propose we deal with this?”

Subaru was silent, unsure of what to do. Ram seemed resigned to accepting he was telling the truth, and Roswaal seemed to have no disagreements. He didn’t really want to separate twin sisters, but he also didn’t know if he could trust Rem to stay around where she could cause harm. As he was thinking, someone knocked on the door. 

They turned around, and saw Emilia walk into the room with Puck floating around her. However, they were far more shocked when Beatrice also walked in behind Emilia. 

Emilia still had visible dried tears, but was no longer crying. Before she could say anything, Beatrice pointed her finger at Subaru. She stared at him with a suspicious glare.

“You there. I need to talk to you again, in private, before this continues. Come with me to the library, I suppose.” Beatrice turned around and waited by the door. Everyone looked at a wide-eyed Subaru, who responded by simply following her. The two walked through the door, which once again led to the Forbidden Library.

The door slammed shut behind him, and Beatrice turned to face Subaru, with an accusatory look on her face.

“So, how do you plan to explain to me why you’re lying to everyone about having a Divine Protection? I could sense from when I drained you that you have absolutely no protections, and you aren’t capable of receiving any, either. The only reason I didn’t call you out in front of everyone is because Bubby wanted me to ask privately first, I suppose.”

Subaru was at a loss for words.  _ Some convenient excuse, huh? All torn apart by a loli spirit. _ He looked at her for a moment, trying to form something, anything he could say. Last time he tried to tell the truth…

Beatrice grew impatient. “Out with it already, before I drag you in front of the others to explain it there.”

Subaru raised up his arms, waving them up and down. “Alright, alright, I’ll try to explain it!” He took a few ragged breaths, and collected himself.

He looked at her, and spoke slowly. “Listen, the truth is, while I didn’t have a vision, I was there, I saw what happened, and then I d-”

A feeling of deja vu set in as darkness overtook Subaru, freezing time and enveloping him. The purple, shadowy hand from before appeared, and slowly wrapped around Subaru, holding him in a slowly tightening grasp. The hand gently caressed Subaru’s face, before reaching down to his chest. The hand took hold of his heart, and squeezed. The pain was almost unimaginable, as Subaru felt his entire being sundered by the immense pain.

Subaru keeled over, screaming loudly and clutching his chest as time unfroze. He coughed, and blood was shot all over the floor in front of Beatrice, whose eyes had gone wide. Subaru felt liquid just barely coming out of his eyes… and it didn’t feel like tears.

Beatrice, in a panic, went to grab Subaru and lean him against a bookcase. She watched as Subaru was preparing to say something, before screaming in pain, coughing up blood,as more leaked from his eyes. The only thing she could think was what just happened, and what injured him to the point of crying blood?

She placed her small hand over his chest and cast a healing spell. Her powerful healing magic was able to quickly stabilize Subaru, who stopped screaming and coughing. His eyes stopped bleeding, and his heart stopped racing.

She finally spoke. “Subaru. Subaru, what just happened?! Are… you hurt?” She almost sounded guilty, like she was somehow responsible for his injury. 

Subaru calmed down enough that he could speak again. “Bea-ko… I guess I can’t tell you the truth… I want to, but that happens…”

She overlooked the nickname, and took the opportunity to confirm his damages. Based on her spell, Subaru had taken real damage throughout his body. Even if faking something like that was possible, he certainly hadn’t.

Beatrice was at a loss for words now. There was some secret he was hiding, but it seems he can’t talk about it without risking a painful death. What could she ask? 

Subaru weakly spoke again, as the healing magic restored him.

“Listen...It’s not that I have visions...I experience the things to come...but I can’t tell you how I do it. Or else...that happens…”

She had been able to keep monitoring him for signs of deception, but this seemed as close to the truth as she would get. She witnessed for herself what happens when he gets too close to it. Some terrible power would inflict intense pain on him. She thought,  _ Is this related to the Witch? After what he said, the scent of the witch from him became far stronger. _

She answered him, “Alright, I believe you, I suppose...the brat did say that you had used your fake protection to save her. I won’t reveal your secret for now, under one condition.”

He looked up at her. “What condition would that be, Beako?”

The nickname still annoyed her, and it showed. Still, she chose not to lecture him. “You have to form a limited contract with me. You won’t be my official contractor, and you can’t use my magic, but it will create a link between our souls. I want to know when one of these ‘experiences’ happens, so I can question you about it. Just so you know, this sort of contract goes beyond time and space, so once we’ve forged it, it’s there, permanently, until we break the contract.”

He was confused, but if it would get her to protect the secret, he’d agree to it.

“Ok, Beako, I’ll make the contract. Just, um, how will you know when I’ve had an ‘experience’?”

She put her hand on her chin to think for a moment. “I’m not...sure. But, I’m going to try and link it to whenever the scent of the Witch floods you. Something about that has to have something to do with it, I suppose.”

They were equally clueless on the matter, so he shrugged. She raised her hand, and gestured for his. She said, “I’ll ask your spirit’s permission to form the limited contract. I imagine they won’t be too upset as long as they know it’s not to establish a magic-using contract.” 

He could hear the spirits hum and haw as they spoke with Beatrice. His spirits tended to be quiet, unlike him. They only really spoke when necessary. The negotiations didn’t take long; He could hear as the spirits agreed to Beatrice’s contract.

Beatrice nodded in affirmation. Using her power, she formed the contractual link between herself and Subaru. Subaru got up, leaning against the bookcase for a little support.  He asked, “So, now what?”

She responded, “The link has been formed, I suppose. Oh, I forgot to mention something. I added another term in our contract. As long as you are in my Forbidden Librar can’t lie. Obviously, you can simply not say everything, especially related to your secret, but you can’t lie in here. Outside of the library, I won’t stop you from calling it a Divine Protection.”

Subaru bit his lip a little. “Hey, no fair! So now I can’t lie inside here...well, at least this means you’ll know I’m not lying about my appreciation for you!”

He smiled as he reached over and placed his hand on her head, rubbing it. She was so stunned by the sudden show of tenderness from him, that she couldn’t initially respond. Begrudgingly, she eventually responded, “The-the head pat is acceptable, I s-suppose...as long as you don’t overdo it…”

Ecstatic, Subaru cheered to himself as he released her from the head pat. Beatrice would never admit it to anyone, least of all him, but a part of her had never imagined anyone would ever make her feel cared for again, yet wanted to be anyway.

She motioned him back to the door, which she opened to reveal Roswaal’s office once more. As they left, he whispered to her, “You gotta tell me about this door trick of yours sometime.” 

They walked back into the office to find that now everyone was gathered in the office. Rem had joined in at some point, and was being questioned by Ram and Flora. All eyes turned to face the re-entering Subaru and Beatrice. The first to speak, surprisingly, was Ram.

“Great Spirit-sama, what did you need Miss Emilia’s knight for?” She was tensely holding her twin’s shoulder.

Beatrice responded curtly, “I merely had some questions and doubts about Subaru’s ‘Divine Protection of Future Sight’. He answered my questions in a satisfactory way, and I no longer harbor those doubts.” She thought it best that she didn’t say anything more than that.

Emilia looked at Subaru, then back over to Ram and said, “Well, if she’s satisfied, then I guess I am too. I don’t doubt him in the slightest anymore.”

Ram sighed a heavy sigh. “Rem. I’m truly sorry, but it seems Sir Barusu isn’t lying. I’ve repeatedly told you that he could be trusted. I even told you Lord Roswaal trusted him. We asked you to tell us if you felt he did anything suspicious, and it sort of hurts to know you wouldn’t even do that.”

Rem became teary-eyed as she stammered to Ram, “Please, sissy! He has to be a member of the Witch Cult! Do you really believe that he’s just some knight from the capital that just ‘happened’ to save Miss Emilia?”

Before Ram could respond, Roswaal spoke, in his normal tone. “Now, now, Rem. I can ce~ertainly understand your suspicions, but your sister is right. Sir Subaru can’t be a member of that cult. Both Puck and Beatrice here wo~ould have noticed and reported it immediately.”

Rem felt like her entire world was crumbling around her. Ram had already confiscated her weapon, and everyone had turned on her for something she hadn’t yet done. Was she truly wrong? Has she already done something unforgivable?

Ram gently spun her twin around to face her, and put both of her hands on her shoulders. “Rem...please, trust your sister and Lord Roswaal.” She embraced Rem, and held a hand on her head.

Roswaal looked up to face Subaru. “So~o, Sir Subaru, I ask you once more: What should we do about this situation? Should we send Rem away? Perhaps she could live with one of the other nobles in my domain…”

Ram and Rem closed their eyes, afraid of the judgement that Subaru could rightfully call upon Rem.

Subaru thought for a moment, before he realized the answer. “There’s no need to send Rem away from here.” 

Both twins opened their eyes, and turned to face him.

He looked directly at Rem and continued, “I think you just need to spend some time getting to know me. Maybe once you know me a little better, you won’t feel so uncomfortable with me around anymore. Flora will take your duty to Miss Emilia for now, and you can be my attendant for a while. You can follow me around and talk to me, and we’ll be friends in no time.”

Subaru thought,  _ This only seems fair. This will also prove whether or not she is capable of accepting me. And, I really don’t want to force Ram to have to give up her twin sister. She may have attacked me, but maybe she has a sweeter side that I haven’t seen. _

Beatrice looked up at Subaru. “I’m surprised by your ability to forgive a future attacker, I suppose.” She was puzzled why he wouldn’t just get rid of a problem while he could.

Roswaal gave an intrigued smile, and spoke. “Ve~ery well, Sir Subaru. Rem will work as your attendant temporarily until you and her feel comfortable. With this matter settled, I say we shou~uld adjourn until dinner.” Roswaal sat back in his chair, and focused on his paperwork.

Beatrice left first, going back into her library. Subaru reopened the door to find the main hallway once more. Everyone else went out into the hallway. They stopped to talk after closing Roswaal’s door.

Flora turned to Subaru, and said, “I’m as surprised as the Great Spirit, Sir Subaru. But, I trust your judgement. Please, don’t hesitate to call for me if you need me while Rem is in charge of your needs.”

Ram and Rem were quietly talking across the hallway, so Emilia went up to Subaru next. “Baru-tan, thank you for not sending Rem away. I promise she’s really a sweet girl, even if she did attack you in your vision.” She smiled at him, and waved as she walked with Flora back to her room.

Ram had finished her conversation with Rem, and the two walked over to Subaru. Rem spoke first. “S-Sir Subaru...Rem is sorry. Rem promises to be the best attendant she can be. I-I’ll bring some tea over to your room in a little while.” Her voice was filled with sorrow and guilt.

Rem bowed deeply, and walked away, looking down. As she walked down the hall, Ram lightly took hold of Subaru’s arm, causing him to look at her.

She spoke softly, “Sir Barusu...thank you. I would’ve accepted her being sent away, but it would have hurt me greatly. Your act of mercy has had an impact on my dear sister, too. I was able to convince her a witch cultist would have had her sent away immediately. I’ll keep an eye out, but I don’t think you have anything more to worry about from her.”

With that, Ram gave a small smile to Subaru, bowed, and left. 

Back in Roswaal’s office, the clown-like lord smiled to himself.

“Ve~ery interesting, Subaru, very interesting indeed. Dealt with nonviolently, without separating the twins. Just as the book says…”

Back in his great room, Subaru kicked back on the couch, hopeful that he’d solved the problem. He’d find out soon enough, when Rem came by with tea. After a few minutes, he heard a knock on the door. Rem asked to enter, and Subaru invited her in. She was carrying a pot and 2 cups of tea, along with a few tea cookies. Rem looked at him, with the appearance of a sad puppy.

“Sir Subaru...may I sit with you for afternoon tea?”

He was surprised by her demure attitude, completely different from how she was in the last loop. “Um, sure, Rem. Take a seat, let’s talk.”

She sat down on a sofa across from Subaru after placing down the tea set. “Sir Subaru, Rem spoke with her sissy, and Rem is sorry for accusing you of being a witch cultist.” She spoke with guilt in her voice, and a severe defeatist tone.

He thought she sounded a lot like someone he remembered...himself, when he was 15 and ready to give up on everything. The difference was, he sought his parents’ help, and they helped him build himself back up. Rem only had her sister, and a twin sister can only do so much.

“Well, no more of that, then!” Subaru smiled as he put on his best impression of his dad. “From now on, no more of this ‘Sir’ nonsense. I’m big bro Subaru, and the two of us are gonna be buddies for life!” He put his hand out in a thumbs up pose, looking over at a very surprised Rem.

She stuttered a bit, before saying, “B-But, you’re a knight, and I’m an attendant, it would be impolite to not address you as Sir…”

He shook his head. “I know the rules of etiquette, Rem. When it’s just the two of us, just call me Subaru, and I’ll just call you Rem. We can’t be buddies unless we’re equal somewhere!”

She continued looking at him with a stunned expression. “...Ok, Subaru...when it’s just us, then...I guess that’s ok?” She was more convinced now, a man like this couldn’t possibly be a witch cultist. He’s just far too silly.

He saw she still had a mostly neutral, but stunned, expression. He thought,  _ Well, change doesn’t occur in a mere few minutes. Now that I won’t die tonight, I’ve got a while to work on my friendship with Rem. _

“Hey, Rem, I was gonna do a little training before dinner. Why don’t you come with me? You can get an idea of how I fight. That is, if you have time before you need to make dinner.”

Her eyes lit up just a little. “Ok, Subaru. I have some time. I’ll accompany you while you train.”

Subaru hadn’t planned to go through a third training session in a day, but to his perspective, this was a new day anyway, and it would prove he was capable of turning an enemy into an ally. After all, surely a knight can do that!

Rem followed Subaru down to the courtyard. Ram watched as Rem followed Subaru out the door. She decided to go ahead and follow somewhat distantly behind them, just in case, even though she didn’t see any hostility on Rem’s face.

Ram watched from afar as Subaru demonstrated his sword and shield technique on a training dummy. Rem was impressed by his abilities. She thought,  _ Even if I had attacked him, no doubt he could’ve fought me off. I’m glad he seems to be on our side.  _ After a few minutes, Subaru turned back to Rem.

“Hey Rem, do you know any magic?”

She tilted her head. “Well, I’m a water magic user. I’m not that great, but I can use basic spells.”

He raised his shield. He chanted, “Huma!” 

Rem watched as the ice covered his shield, creating a new magical layer.

“Hey, Rem! Can you send a few crystals at me? I’ll show you how I block them.”

She was surprised he trusted her to do this. Ram continued to watch, as Rem prepared her magic.

Rem chanted, “Huma!” 

Several small ice crystals appeared, aimed at Subaru. “Ok, Subaru, I’m going to hurl them at you, ok? If you get hurt, tell me so I can stop.” He nodded.

She sent the crystals at him, and he was able to block all but a few, and the few he didn’t block, he dodged with no issues. Ram, from behind a gazebo pillar, watched in amazement. She thought,  _ This isn’t particularly difficult, but Barusu is handling my sister’s crystals just fine. Maybe I don’t need to watch… _

Rem finished launching crystals, and Subaru lowered his shield. He smiled and gave Rem a thumbs up. Seeing his smile, she couldn’t help but smile just a little bit herself.

“Thanks Rem! That was a good workout. It’s probably about time for you to go though, isn’t it?”

Rem responded, “Yes, it is, Subaru. I’m glad I could be helpful to you.” She smiled, and bowed, leaving him to head back inside.

Subaru smiled as she left. He thought,  _ I’m making progress already! She’s smiling now. She’s cute as can be while she smiles. Maybe I can crack a few jokes, too? Well, if I can remember any good ones…  _ He scratched his head, and turned around to get some more sword strikes in. As he picked up his sword, he heard a voice call out to him.

“Sir Barusu. May I have a minute?”

He turned around to face Ram, and set his sword back down. He motioned her over. She had a slight smile on her face.

She said to him, “I see my dear sister is now spending some time with you. I hope her charms haven’t already caused you to forget about Miss Emilia.” She deviously winked as she teased him.

He turned bright red, and stammered, “W-W-What? Where’d you get that idea from? All I did was ask her to join me as I trained! I just want her to know that I’m not evil!”

She very smugly said, “Heh. Sir Barusu, don’t think you can fool me. She even addressed you without your usual title. What master would tell their servant to disregard titles in private unless they wanted to form a bond with them?” 

He began sweating, horrified that Emilia was going to get the wrong idea, because Ram might snitch on him. “Ram, please! I told her she could drop the Sir in private because I wanted to be friends with her! That’s all I wanted, I swear!”

She laughed at his anguish. “Well, you want to be friends with my dear sister, but you’re making me feel awfully left out. Don’t you also want to be friends with me, too?” She could practically feel him being crushed under the weight of her words.

“O-o-of course! I want to be friends with both of you! Really!” He was soaked in sweat, cheeks flush with humiliation, bowing before her with his hands clasped together.

She beamed smugly, victory within grasp. “Ah, good, Barusu. I accept your offer of friendship. But, if you don’t want me to tell Emilia you tried to become friends with Rem but not me, you have to apologize to me.”

He got down on his knees and bent all the way to the ground in front of her feet. “I’m truly sorry, Ram! From the bottom of my heart, I beg your forgiveness!”

Ram clenched her fist in victory. “Thank you, Barusu. Your apology has brought life back to my still, maidenly heart. Also, you should take a bath before dinner. It’ll be ready in 30 minutes.” She laughed to herself as she walked back to the mansion.

Subaru clambored back onto his feet, exhausted from sweating and begging to Ram. He was a bit humiliated that she was able to twist him around her thumb so easily, but he also recognized a certain friendliness to her manner of doing so. She acted harsh and teasing, but under the surface she was clearly happy he was around.

On Ram’s more-directing-than-suggesting hint, he went to bathe before dinner. After freshening up, he put on his old tracksuit. It felt a little tight around the chest and arms, which made him happy. He bought it when he was lean back in Japan, but 2 years of knight training made him a slightly more muscular guy.

Subaru opened the door to leave his great room, to find Rem holding out her hand, about to knock on it. “O-Oh, Subaru! I was just going to walk with you to dinner. Flora is just about to cut the roast and serve it. Since you offered to let me follow you around, well…” She trailed off a little as she spoke.

Subaru chuckled. “Alright, alright, Rem. Come on, let’s go to dinner.” He confidently strode ahead, while she sat behind for a moment.

“Um, Subaru...the dining room is the other way.” Rem put her hand over her mouth to avoid giggling out loud.

A slightly red faced Subaru turned around, with an embarrassed smile on his face. He walked back in the other direction and proceeded onward. The amused maid followed behind him.

Subaru arrived at the dining room to find everyone else in attendance, once again including Beatrice, who was now sitting across from the seat Subaru would normally take. Rem went into the kitchen to help bring the food out, and Subaru took his usual seat beside Emilia. 

After enjoying Subaru’s dinnertime antics, she invited Subaru back to her room for evening refreshments. Subaru felt a sense of deja vu as he walked with her. Subaru did the gentlemanly thing and opened Emilia’s door for her. The two walked in, and Emilia once again directed him to the sofa in front of the fireplace. He sat down, and she sat right beside him. Since it happened once before, he didn’t blush as heavily, but he was relieved she still wanted to sit by him after the accusations earlier.

As they settled in, a gentle knock came at the door. Emilia allowed entry, and Rem came in with Flora, both carrying various refreshments and snacks. Flora brought a special treat: Lemonade! Somehow, it didn’t exist in this world before Subaru suggested it to her, and it became a hit in the Juukulius household. The sour of this world’s version of lemons with the sweetness of sugar, creates an incredible sweet tangy flavor. 

The two attendants left Emilia and Subaru to spend the evening together with their drinks and snacks. Tea, cold lemonade, tea cookies, and what appeared to be fresh table grapes. Emilia asked Subaru several questions that he had already answered, but knew that to her it was the first time asking. They talked until the sun set beneath the horizon, and Subaru offered to take his leave so Emilia wouldn’t have to awkwardly kick him out.

Subaru arrived at his room, and opened the door to find Rem sitting down, wearing a long blue nightgown. She looked up at him as he walked in and said,

“Oh, Subaru, I’m sorry. I just wanted to ask you something before bed, if you don’t mind.”

Subaru was curious, and said, “Ok, sure. What’s up, Rem?”

She looked down, like she was ashamed to be asking. “Um, I just wanted to ask to be sure. When you met Miss Emilia in the capital, that was your first time meeting her, right?”

He nodded his head. “Yup, that was the first time we met. I still can’t believe I didn’t recognize her as a Royal Candidate. I feel super embarrassed.” His face reddened a little.

Rem looked up, and gave a grin at his red face. “Ok. Thank you, Subaru. That’s all. Have a good night...um, you said ‘big bro’, right?”

He lit up like a lightbulb. “Ha! Yeah, that’s right! Good night, little sis.” He walked over to her and gently rubbed her head. Rem was stunned, but she felt reassured by just how gentle his palm felt on her. A man like him wouldn’t hurt a fly if he didn’t have to. 

She smiled at him, and leaned a little into his hand. He let go, and Rem got up. She waved good night as she left the room. Alone again, Subaru changed into pajamas, and went to bed, satisfied that he wouldn’t have to worry about Rem trying to murder him again.

In the middle of the night, Emilia got up from a restless sleep. “Ugh...what a nightmare...just who was that woman...she looked kind of like...me?” She hadn’t seen herself in a mirror in years, but she would always remember what she looked like. She decided to go and talk to Subaru. Maybe he could help her out…

Subaru stirred when he heard a gentle knock on his door. He sat up, and called to the door, “Come in.”

Emilia walked in. She said, “Hey Baru-tan, sorry to wake you. Can I talk to you for a little bit?”

Subaru motioned for her to sit beside him. She sat down right next to him, and he could already see the tears welling in her eyes. He took the initiative, and put his arm around her. In response, she fell sideways as she twisted into a position to face upwards, and he caught her shoulders in the opposite arm. He was now cradling Emilia as she faced upwards at him.

She looked at him with a moment’s awe, and said, “Baru-tan, how did you know?” 

She then turned her head into his chest and sobbed as she recalled the nightmare imagery. He continued to cradle her, using his free hand to gently massage her temple. She sobbed for a few minutes as he held her.

She eventually stopped, and looked back up at him. Her eyes shined in the moonlight coming through the window, and Subaru was astonished by how beautiful her eyes were. He resented that they made her look like the reincarnation of the ultimate evil, blinding everyone else to her real beauty.

The same moonlight that lit up Emilia also lit up Subaru. She looked up to see his angry eye shape, though he had the most gentle look in them. He was a little dopey, but the way he looked at her made her feel wanted and accepted by someone besides a spirit for the first time.

“Baru-tan...thank you for letting me visit you so late. I had a nightmare about something bad...I saw people I didn’t recognize. I...I don’t know why I would dream of these things. I’ve never known my parents, but one of the people I saw...she looked just like me, but with short hair…was she my mother?”

It wasn’t quite how it went the other night, but perhaps by his taking initiative, she described her dreams differently. Emilia was still letting him rub her head, so he continued as she talked through her nightmare. She mentioned her home, Elior Forest, currently covered in a thick layer of snow and ice.

She began to grow tired, when she could talk no more, he lifted her back into a sitting position. She turned to face him, and said, “Baru-tan, you’re so kind. I hope you’ll always be here for me.” 

She smiled and returned his kind gesture by brushing her hand around his ear, and rubbing his temple a bit. He blushed as she gently rubbed him, and after a moment she got back up. 

“I hate to ask, Baru-tan, but can you walk me back to my room? I’m getting really...sleepy.” Her eyelids drooped adorably as she asked.

He practically leapt out of bed, and put on his house shoes, and took her arm to walk her back to her room. He paused for a moment at the door. He listened for anything off. After a short while, he heard nothing, so he opened the door, and took Emilia back to her room in peace.

Thankfully, it was a short walk, and before long Emilia was tucked back in her bed. She wished Subaru good night, and he left to go back to his room. Shortly after closing her door, he turned around to find Rem with a nefarious smile on her face.

“E-eh? Rem? W-What are you doing here?” Subaru was very stunned and a little frightened to see the maid seemingly waiting for him to appear.

She somewhat playfully responded, “I could ask you the same, Subaru. Sneaking out of Miss Emilia’s room like that...makes a person wonder…”

Subaru turned pale, but Rem held up her hand to cut him off. 

“It’s ok, ‘big bro’. I know you were just walking her to her room. I just wanted to scare you a little.” Rem giggled quietly at her evil plan. She quickly added, “It’ll be our little secret...I’ll walk you to your room.” She smirked, and waved for him to follow.

Subaru, secretly relieved once again to not be dead, allowed himself to be escorted back to his room. He went into his room, and the still-smirking Rem wished him good night. Subaru finally got back to sleep after a strangely eventful night. As he floated off to sleep, he thought about looking into Emilia’s eyes again...


	9. Wait, Did I Forget Something?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Subaru enjoys a brief respite before he heads to Arlam Village for the first time.

**...loveyouloveyouloveyouoveyouloveyouloveyouoveyouloveyouloveyouoveyouloveyouloveyouoveyouloveyouloveyouoveyouloveyouloveyou…**

Subaru opened his eyes, staring hard at the ceiling above him. He was covered in sweat, as usual when he had that nightmare. That disembodied voice, calling over and over, love you, love you, love you. It chilled him to the bones, not knowing who was calling or why. Why does the voice love him?

He sat up in bed, to see the very early rays of sunlight peeking in the window. He decided to go ahead and get up. He felt generally refreshed, even if it'd only been 6 or so hours. He was feeling grateful to have survived the night, getting past the obstacles that killed him!

 _Mabeasts. Mabeasts in the forest killed me. And there was a little girl among them?_ Subaru snapped back to reality as he remembered the one little issue he'd forgotten about. Sure, Rem wasn't going to chase him off anymore, but maybe he should still be concerned about those mabeasts. There is a small village nearby, maybe he should take a patrol down there and check things out.

He opened his jaw wide as he realized what he should do. _I've got it! I should see if the attendants need to get supplies. I can use it as an excuse to go with them and just check things out!_ He was pleased with himself for his absolute genius idea.

Just then, a knock came at his door. "Sir Subaru? It's Rem. Are you awake?"

He turned to the door and said, "I'm awake, come in!"

Rem entered the room, seeing Subaru still dressed in night clothes. "Oh, Sir Subaru. Um, Rem just wanted to let you know breakfast was going to be prepared in 30 minutes. Should Rem come back after you're ready?"

He smiled and shook his head. "All good. Also, didn't I say you could drop 'Sir' when it's just the two of us?"

She stepped back, slightly flustered. "I-I'm sorry, Subaru! Rem is so used to formality…"

He chuckled at the maid's reaction. "Don't worry, Rem! You'll get the hang of it. Anyway, I need to get ready, I'll see you at breakfast."

The rosy-cheeked maid bowed and made a hasty exit. He couldn't help but chuckle over his teasing of her. _I think she and I are going to end up getting along just fine._ He felt reassured by her disarming behavior.

As he began freshening up, Rem went back to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. Flora told her earlier she wanted to teach her and Ram how to make a Jukuulius household staple, super-duper fluffy pancakes, once again introduced by Subaru giving Flora an idea how to make them. As Rem walked, she met up with her twin, and they got to talking.

Ram asked her, "Dear sister, Barusu hasn't been making you run ragged, has he?" She narrowered her eyes, awaiting her response.

Rem responded, "No, sissy, Sir Subaru has been fair to me. If anything, he makes me do less work than I would for Lord Roswaal or Lady Emilia. He keeps his room surprisingly clean, so I won't need to do anything but dusting and changing his pillow slips today."

Ram seemed pleased by this answer. She calmly replied, " Very good. If he had been treating you poorly, I might have had to give him a lesson in how to properly treat an attendant." A hint of malice was evident in her eyes, but it passed quickly.

"Rem, I do hope you see now. He may be lackluster, and would fit in better with a circus, but he isn't evil." She smiled warmly for her younger twin.

Rem couldn't help but smile back at her wonderful, loving sister. "Yes, sissy, I can see that now. Even if he does have the scent, it seems really unlikely he is part of the Cult. I still wonder, but...he seems ok."

The two maid sisters continued to talk as they made their way down to the kitchen.

Subaru put on his knight's uniform, feeling freshened up and ready to go. He stepped out of his room, and to his surprise, Beatrice was walking by. She had yet to take notice of him, so he watched for a moment as she walked. He watched as her strange drill-shaped pigtails gently swayed from side to side as she walked.

"What are you staring at, I suppose? Do you hope I'll take pity on you again and guide you to breakfast?" Beatrice had turned around just to stare a hole into Subaru's head. Boy oh boy, could the knight feel it.

"Heh...no, I know how to get there. I just wanted to ask if you'd walk with me anyway." He smiled awkwardly after being caught staring.

Beatrice rolled her eyes as far as they could. "You are hopeless, I suppose. If I must be accompanied, then stay behind me and don't bother me with incorrect names." She turned around and continued to walk.

He was tempted to immediately use his nickname for her. However, he lightly bit his tongue, determined to make the spirit see that he wasn't a total jerk. _I will befriend her, eventually! She knows so much about yin magic, having her as a friend will be such a huge benefit._ He smiled as he thought.

He decided to try and strike up a conversation. "So, Beatrice, you're a master of yin magic, right? How long did it take you to get so good at it?"

She slowed down, but didn't look back at him before answering. "I am a master of yin. I'd prefer not to reminisce about how long it took to reach that level, I suppose." Her voice sounded hollow. It was not the voice of a tsundere girl, but of a jaded, lonely soul.

He paused for a moment. "Sorry, Beatrice. I didn't mean to bring up a sore subject." His voice was laden with a bit of guilt.

She shook her head, still looking ahead. "I can forgive you for not knowing this time, I suppose. I don't like talking about the past. You can talk about yours all you like, just leave mine out of it." She was right back to tsundere again, though her last statement had a bit more bite than her usual sort of remark.

He elected to continue walking without saying anything else. The loli spirit did not say anything either, as the two walked in silence. After a short walk, they arrived at the dining room, to find everyone else waiting for them. They took the usual seats, as Subaru greeted his charge.

"Good morning, Emilia-tan! Did you sleep well?" He smiled wide as he spoke to her.

"Good morning, Baru-tan! I did sleep well, thank you for asking!" She smiled right back at him, as the attendants brought the food out.

After eating Flora's extra-scrumptious super-fluffy pancakes, Subaru once again walked with Emilia back to her room, just to make sure she didn't need anything before he got on with his day. She once again asked him to take some letters for her, and he left to go find his excuse to visit the nearby village.

He arrived at the mail drop, and put Emilia's letter in the out box. He noticed the bird mailbox had a few letters, so he decided to just take a look. _Oh wow, one is marked with the Astrea family seal. I didn't think Reinhard could write back so fast! I only had my letter sent off yesterday!_ Subaru was amazed that the Lugnican bird mail network was even more efficient than Japan's national mailing system. He took the letter, which was addressed "Sir Subaru Juukulius, Mathers Manor."

The letter read, _Subaru, I hope this letter finds you well. I am amazed to hear of your assignment, and I'm incredibly happy for you. It is among the highest honors to work for a Royal Candidate as a personal knight. Once things have calmed down with Lady Felt, I would very much enjoy celebrating with you, Julius, and Ferris. I hope you'll keep me apprised of your efforts._

_Sincerely, Reinhard Van Astrea_

"Oh, Rein, you're so formal. Thanks for writing, buddy." Subaru spoke softly to himself, planning to write back as soon as possible. He smiled and tucked the letter in his shirt pocket. He went outside to do his morning exercises and practice.

After he wrapped up with his practice, Subaru was preparing to go back in when he noticed Rem walking toward him. He smiled and waved, and she returned the gesture as she approached him.

"Good day, Subaru. Were you just practicing?" She asked in an innocent tone of voice.

He gave his signature thumbs up. "Sure was, Rem. What are you doing right now?"

She answered nonchalantly, "I was checking on the supplies. We're doing well, but in a few days me and my sister might need to go to the village for some spices and basic ingredients. Oh, Subaru, are there any special ingredients I should add to the list for you? Or should I ask Flora?"

"Well, yeah, she would be the best one to ask. She knows what stuff I like most with food. Will you and Ram be alright going to the village? If you'd like I could go with you. I've been meaning to go there and introduce myself as a new knight of the domain anyway!" He beamed brightly.

She put her hand on her chin, with a thoughtful frown. She then looked up with a smile. "Well, if you're looking for an excuse to go visit, I'm sure my sister wouldn't mind you accompanying us. Just make sure your lady is ok with it!" She winked at her last statement.

He thought, _Wow, it's like she saw right through me, just looking for an excuse. Am I that obvious?_ He scratched the back of his neck. "Ok, sounds fun! I'm sure she won't, but I'll make sure first! Just let me know when you want to go!"

She bowed lightly. "Perhaps we can move our resupply up a little bit. We could go tomorrow if we get our chores done early. Either my sister or I will let you know. We know Flora can take care of the mansion while we're away, since shopping shouldn't keep us away more than 2-3 hours."

"Alright Rem, I'll keep my ears out for you!" He waved as she walked away. After she left, he decided to go check up on Emilia. With any luck, she had a free minute he could intrude on.

He walked up the mansion to Emilia's room. Flora was standing just outside, apparently anticipating him. She waved him over, and he went to go see what she had to say.

"Sir Subaru, good to see you. I was preparing to find you, but as it would happen, you've found me. Lady Emilia requested your presence, though she said it wasn't urgent. If you aren't busy, perhaps you can visit now?" She was the consummate professional, never betraying an ounce of any emotion other than courtesy as she spoke.

He nodded, and she opened the door for him. "Lady Emilia, Sir Subaru is here to see you. Is now good?"

From within he heard her response, "Yes, please send him in!"

He walked in to find Emilia sitting at her desk, surrounded by textbooks, encyclopedias, and Puck sprawled out across a small pillow. She waved him over, and invited him to sit down across from her. He took a seat to hear what she had to say.

"Baru-tan, thanks for coming by. I just received word that the first official event of the Royal Selection will happen in a few weeks. All 5 candidates will be officially announced, though 3 of the candidates are already fairly widely known. The only surprises will be that girl from the loot house, and, well, me. All the personal knights of each candidate will be present, so I will need you to accompany me. Well, if it's ok, anyway...I won't make you stand by me if it would harm your reputation."

She turned her head down, anticipating Subaru leaping at the chance to avoid a reduction in status from associating so closely with her. In her mind, she would even let him publicly pretend not to be her knight, as long as he continued to support her in private. It's not like she deserved a knight as kind and wonderful as him...

"Emilia-tan, what are you talking about? Why would I ever miss out on a chance to tell the world that I support you?" She looked up in shock, to see him looking mildly disappointed in her.

"Do you really think I was going to shirk away from being your knight in public? If I didn't want to be your knight, I would've turned down the offer from the start. Have a little faith in me, silly!" He smiled and took up her hand. She was absolutely in awe as he continued his speech.

"I hope I don't have to say it again, but I will if I need to. I am your knight, sworn to your side, through thick and thin. I'll face your problems with you, and share in celebration of your achievements. If the world is against you, I will be there to help you fight back. Now, Emilia-tan, let's go and face the world together." He had a determined look on his face, and her eyes sparkled in admiration of him.

"Baru-tan...you really mean it? You're not...humiliated, or embarrassed to be my knight? I'd understand if you were...you don't have to pretend." She clung desperately to her pessimistic outlook, and her tone reflected it.

He smiled as brightly as he could. "Of course I mean it, Emilia-tan. I promise."

Her frown melted into a smile as tears formed in her eyes. She gripped his hand a little tighter and said to him, "Baru-tan...you're a really wonderful person. I'll hold you to your promise."

She let go of his hand, and he did the same. He thought, _Wow, didn't know I could give a speech like that! I kinda just winged it there. I'm sure Dad would've said something like that, anyway. It's not like I didn't mean it, but the words just kinda came out._

Puck got up and moved over in front of Subaru's face. "Well, Subaru, you've certainly done a lot for my daughter. Just know, I'll be watching to make sure you keep this promise, too. You should know how important a promise is to a fellow spirit arts user." A hint of malice passed through his face as he spoke, but he mostly held a friendly, even grateful expression. Subaru felt a bead of sweat drip down his neck as Puck meandered back to Emilia.

"Er, yeah, right, Puck! Hey Emilia-tan, I just remembered, I wanted to let you know, um, I'm planning to accompany Rem and Ram on their supply run tomorrow. Sounds like they'd like a little help, and I wanted to see the village, so I'm gonna go! That's ok, right? Just one little trip and back?" Subaru sounded really nervous as he spoke, which confused Emilia.

With her eyebrow raised, she responded, "Yeah, that's fine, Baru-tan. As long as you're safe and come back right away, I don't mind!" Her expression shifted to a smile.

He wiped his head and thought, _Phew, that was close. I don't want her to think I'd be messing with the maids behind her back!_

He smiled back at her and said, "Of course! I'm not going to do anything stupid or crazy. Just a quick look and come back with supplies!"

After finishing the back and forth conversation where they both fundamentally misunderstood each other, Emilia asked him to at least join her for breakfast the next day before his little journey. He agreed, and went on his way.

As he walked through the hallway, Subaru thought, _This is great! Emilia-tan approved my plan! Just eat breakfast, train, and when the twins are done, we'll go to the village. Then I can see if those mabeasts caused any trouble._

The last thing he wanted to get done today was to go bother a certain small blonde spirit. He hoped that maybe she could tell him how to use one more. That "neutrino" spell seemed like it'd be really useful to him. He walked past a door, and felt something unusual about it. So, he opened it up to find...

"How irritating, barging in uninvited, I suppose! You'd better have a good reason to bother me." Beatrice looked at him with a very annoyed glare.

He shrugged and answered the only way he could-honestly. "Hey Beako, I was really impressed the other day when you told me about all that yin magic! I wanted to talk to you about it again!"

Her look softened up slightly on his answer, though she still looked irritated. "Hmph. Well, your flattery will get you nowhere if you continue to ignore my name. If you go back, apologize, and call me by my _proper_ name, I might be willing to talk to you about yin magic again."

He sighed, defeated. He got on his hands and knees, prostrating himself before her.

"I'm sorry, Great Spirit Beatrice. Please forgive me and help me out!"

She huffed very slightly. "It almost feels like mocking, pleading from that position. The spell of the Forbidden Library ensures you're honest, though, so I'll forgive you, I suppose. Now stop holding yourself against the floor so I can talk to you."

He got up and sat on a rather larger stool near her, though he could've sworn it wasn't there previously. Maybe his eyes were playing tricks on him?

She looked at him with a bored expression. "So, what about yin did you want to ask me about? If you're looking for a cheap yin tutor, just know that I am not that. I don't go around teaching any random kid who walks into my library, I suppose."

He smiled and responded, "Oh, one of the spells you told me about. I think it was called Neutrino? Being able to mass control gravity sounds like it could be really useful as a knight going into battle. Could you-er, no, do you know how I could learn about it? Maybe you have a book on it I could read?"

She sighed as she said, "You really are hopeless, I suppose. It could be amusing to Betty to attempt to teach you how to use such a spell. I won't do it for free, though. I will require something in return."

He perked up in attention. "Well, if I can find it for you, then I'll agree to it!"

She looked at him, judging him as she stared. "I need proof you won't misuse such a spell. It's potential for destruction is immense, and while I don't care much for most of the world, I fear how it could harm my library. As for the proof I require: I demand you take down one of the Three Great Mabeasts and present me with proof of its death. If you're willing to take such a monster down without the spell, then I can imagine you're going to use the power of Neutrino for good. I don't know how to find the White Whale or Black Serpent, but I do know how to call the last one: The Great Rabbit."

The Three Great Mabeasts. They've been responsible for untold damage and destruction for centuries, according to Julius.

The White Whale appears at chance, destroying all in it's path. It was recently discovered to also erase some of its victims from history, as if they never existed.

The Black Serpent is an abomination, harboring several virulent plagues capable of destroying a person in less than a minute, and it inflicts terrifying damage on its surroundings, rendering them virtually uninhabitable for at least 2 decades. If a scouting party says they saw the Black Serpent heading in your direction, it's best to simply abandon what you have and run in a direction perpendicular to it away.

The Great Rabbit appears harmless at a glance, resembling a small white rabbit with no special features. Its true horror only comes to fruition when it suddenly becomes a dozen and rends you to the bone. Few have lived to see it and tell the tale, and now most would rather burn alive than face it.

He didn't really know how to respond to such a great payment. After some thought, he said, "Well, um, I guess I'll have to get back to you on that. I'm not ready to face one of those yet!"

The spirit girl rolled her eyes. "Uh huh, I suppose. Now leave and stop bothering me." She turned her eyes back onto a book she was reading. He looked down as he walked out and closed the library door.

Subaru was a little dejected that she was unwilling to teach him without a seriously high price, but ultimately he understood her reasoning. He needs to prove to her one way or another he will never use a spell like that for evil. Killing one of the Great Mabeasts would demonstrate it, since the evildoers of the world would not dare to harm them.

With nothing left to accomplish, he went back to his room after dinner. He changed out of his uniform for the night, and sat down at his desk to think about his plan for the coming days.

He heard a knock at the door. He could tell it was Rem, since she had a unique, soft knock quite unlike Flora's. He said, "Come in!"

The door opened to reveal Rem, holding a pitcher of lemonade. "Good evening, Subaru. Flora made this so I could bring it up to you. May I sit for a moment?"

He motioned her over, and she set the pitcher and a couple cups down before sitting down on a different sofa. She said softly, "I talked to my sister, and she agreed to have you join us tomorrow afternoon after we finish chores so we can go to get supplies. She tells me you want to be friends with both of us, which makes me happy. So, we're going to take you on a friends date to the village!"

She smiled, eyes closed, as he giggled to himself. _Friends date, huh? I'd feel insulted if it wasn't my near-murderer saying it!_ He couldn't help but think about that. He quickly recomposed himself before saying, "Well, that sounds great! Just find me tomorrow and we'll get going." Rem nodded, then she got up and left. Not too long later, he decided to go to bed early.

* * *

Shadows. Legions of shadows. It was like a scene out of that Tolkien story everyone knows, but instead of orcs, shadows. Shadowy lances, swords, axes, everything under the shadowy expanse was there. Hundreds, nay, thousands of shadowy soldiers lined up, and pointed their weapons inward at Subaru. For lack of mouths they didn't shout, but their rush was enough of a shout. They came closer, and closer, and Subaru couldn't move. He was frozen in place, held down, only able to watch.

However, before the shadows could reach him, a single light appeared. It wasn't a brilliant light, but it was a light nonetheless. The dim light pierced through the oppressive darkness, and tore the shadows asunder. The light took the form of a silver-haired elf...or was it half-elf? The figure turned around, and Subaru was stunned to see...a female form, and amethyst eyes…

The figure spoke, "I'm so sorry. I hope you can forgive me, my love…"

* * *

Subaru shot up in bed, covered in sweat. He looked to the window to find the sun had not yet risen. He decided to get up and do a few stretches to take his mind off the nightmare he just got through. However, before he could begin, his door opened to reveal a very concerned looking Beatrice. He couldn't even react to her presence before she started interrogating him.

"What happened? What kind of experience did you have?" She was practically running at him, pointing her small index finger at him.

He said, still in a state of shock, "Nothing, nothing! I didn't have 'an experience'. I don't know why the contract was triggered!"

She huffed as she replied, "Come in the library and say that again, I suppose." She then chanted, "Neutrino." She held her hand over Subaru, who then floated haplessly in the air before Beatrice roughly flung him through the door into the Forbidden Library. He flew straight through until suddenly dropped on the floor, in front of Beatrice's usual stool. She appeared shortly afterward, and sat down.

"Now, tell me again, what happened? Why were you flooded by the scent of the Witch, I suppose?" She looked upon him with scorn.

Panting for breath, he yelled, "You didn't have to toss me in here like that! And with the spell I asked you to teach me too, that's so cruel, Beako! Like I said, I didn't have 'an experience'. I was having a nightmare."

She raised her eyebrow. "A nightmare flooded you with the Witch's scent, I suppose? How strange...you should tell me about it, I suppose."

He described the imagery he saw. She held a mixture of concern and surprise on her face as he described the shadows, their descent, and being saved by a half elf with silver hair and amethyst eyes.

She said, "So, this half-elf...did she look like your liege?"

"Well, yeah, sort of. But there was something different...I don't know how to describe. She didn't act like Emilia. She almost sounded...remorseful, maybe?" He scratched his head, unsure what to make of his nightmare.

She was utterly baffled. Their contract made it so the library would force honesty upon him, and so he was honest. He didn't have one of these experiences he called "visions" to the others. That could only mean...

"I have a very serious question. Did you...see the W-Witch, I suppose?" Her questioning sounded very guarded, like she was prepared for the worst answer.

He was stunned by her question, but he reflected on it. And he came to his own startling realization.

"Beako...I'm not totally sure, but...that could have been her. She was said to look just like how Emilia looks now..."

She looked as pale as a spirit girl could look. The Witch of Envy, the most terrifying villain to walk the earth, is haunting the dreams of a knight working for a woman that looks exactly like her? The very thought of it shook her to the core. Not only did she have some secret favor for him, she also taunts him through his dreams? He clearly has the worst luck imaginable in this world.

She took a deep breath before announcing, "I don't think I'll ever understand your situation...but I'll just have to trust you aren't bad. I thought maybe the Witch had granted you a boon, but now it's starting to look more like a curse, I suppose. I should ask you one more question while you're still in here."

He quietly replied, "What is it?"

She spoke with a low tone, "Did you make a pact with the Witch, that you can recall?"

He was initially confused by the nature of the question, but he understood soon why she asked, and responded in kind. "No, I haven't made a pact with the Witch, not that I can recall."

She sighed in relief as she closed her eyes. "I feel a little better now, since you can't lie about it in here. You can go back to bed, I suppose."

Following her instructions, he left the library, entering right back into his room, and closed the door behind him. He waited a few seconds, and decided to open the door again, revealing the hallway. He closed the door again, satisfied. He hopped back into bed, and went back to sleep.

* * *

As the sun started to peek above the horizon, Emilia woke up. This was usually when she woke, since she likes to study with a fresh mind. She also decided to try a stretch she saw Subaru doing in the courtyard. She bent over forwards, trying to touch her feet with her hands. She found that she couldn't do it, unlike Subaru. She giggled a little at the thought that he, with his larger body, could, but she couldn't. She then sat down at her desk, as a knock came to the door.

"Lady Emilia, I'm here with your morning tea. May I enter?"

"Of course, Flora, come in!"

Flora opened the door, carrying a pot of tea and a specific teacup that Emilia liked to drink from. Rem had instructed her to always choose that specific cup, and that Emilia could tell when it wasn't that one. She wouldn't complain, per se, but she always looked a little down when she didn't get it. Emilia drank some tea, and rewarded Flora with a gentle smile.

"Thank you, Flora. Your tea is as good as Rem's!"

Flora smiled and bowed. "Your compliment means a lot to me, my lady." She turned around, and left the room.

More and more sunlight crept into her room as Emilia studied. Over the last month, even before she met Subaru, she had been studying the general history of Lugnica. The first thing she learned was the after-effects of the Witch of Envy's rampage. She always knew she was hated for looking like her, but she never fully understood what exactly the Witch had done to have all half-elves hated since, especially those that looked like her.

After some early studying, she went down to the dining room for breakfast. She sat down and waited for the others to arrive. First was Roswaal, followed shortly afterward by Beatrice. A minute or so after Beatrice walked in, Subaru walked in, followed closely by Rem, who quickly went to the kitchen afterwards. Subaru took his usual seat right next to Emilia.

Subaru was entertaining as always, managing to keep a smile on her face, as well as managing to get on Beatrice's nerves just enough to comment without ever getting angry at him. Emilia could tell that even if Beatrice appeared to be annoyed with him, she was much happier than when no one interacted with her at all.

As breakfast ended, Puck awoke to talk with Emilia. They talked for a while as Emilia and Subaru walked to her room. Emilia handed Subaru some letters to take downstairs, but stopped him before sending him off.

"Baru-tan, don't forget, be safe today. Don't do anything reckless just because you're a knight. I'll see you later tonight." She looked concerned at first, but her look of concern faded into a smile as she finished.

Subaru happily responded, "Of course, Emilia-tan! I'll see you tonight as well." He left to take the letters down where they belonged.

He arrived at the letter sorter and placed the letters where they belonged. Priority in the bird mail bag, and the rest in the standard mailbox. As he finished sorting, Ram came up behind him, surprising him by tapping his shoulder.

"Hello, Barusu. Since you convinced my sweet sister to have us two escort your hopeless self to the village, I've taken pity and agreed to help. In return, you can carry the heavy items back. You are very lucky, Barusu, to get two pretty flowers on your arms as you go to the village for the first time. I'm certain your lady will only be a little jealous." Ram winked deviously as she teased him.

A very flustered Subaru answered with, "Do you have to tease me so much? I don't think it's even crossed her mind to worry about me going with the two of you-urk!" He clenched his teeth as he realized he just messed up big time.

She laughed with a devilish smile on her face. "Oh, she isn't worried at all about you going on a date with two pretty maidens to a village just out of view of the mansion? My oh my, Barusu, I don't know if I can handle being the bearer of bad news here, but that can only mean...she just isn't that interested in you! Too bad!"

She continued to laugh as he pouted. While she laughed, Rem appeared. "Sissy, what's so funny? Did he say something stupid?"

Subaru covered his face with his hands as Ram looked at her younger twin. "Sister, that is a redundant question. Barusu is always saying stupid things. All he did just now was admit the truth we already knew."

Subaru stammered, hands still covering his face, "I-I didn't admit a-anything!"

Ram replied with a snort, "Ah, so Lady Emilia not being jealous doesn't bother you, either? Have you been trying to court us two lovely maids instead?"

Rem's face turned red, and she stammered, "Y-You want to c-court me and Sissy? B-But, we hardly know you! It's too soon!"

Subaru was bright red at this point, barely able to speak as he sweat bullets. "N-n-n-no! That's not-that's not what I was saying! I'm not trying to court either of you! I-ugh, I give up! You win! I can't compete!"

Rem looked confused, but Ram sarcastically responded, "Foolish Barusu, even if you were trying to court us, it would be a hopeless task. But yes, I understand now. You wish but fail to court Lady Emilia. Don't worry, Barusu, my sister and I will take pity on you and cheer you up on the way to and back from the village. I'm sure we can fill the role of the friends who pat their loser friend on the back after such a failure."

Rem, completely missing her older twin's sarcasm, helpfully added, "Don't worry, Sir Subaru, you can cry to me and my kind sissy all you need to!"

Subaru couldn't even be mad after seeing Rem's completely innocent smile. Still looking down, he mumbled, "I guess we should get going to the village...the supplies aren't going to get themselves…"

Rem kindly patted Subaru on the back, and motioned him onwards. He felt totally wiped out by Ram's torment and the two maids guided him towards the village. He did his best to think about how he wanted to patrol, and anxiously awaited his arrival in the village.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I keep publishing so late! I had some last minute edits I needed to make. My main computer also crashed, so I had to find my old laptop to finish the story with. Thank goodness for Google Docs.


	10. The Roswaal Manor Incident

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Crazy things happen around Arlam Village, but things get truly crazy after Subaru accidentally wrecks a powerful person's plans...

Subaru, Ram, and Rem all arrived at Arlam Village after a twenty-minute walk. Ram had a haughty smile on her face, while Rem was cheerfully trying to raise Subaru's spirits. She had made up her mind to not be suspicious of Subaru anymore; he was just too happy and silly to possibly be an evildoer or cultist. Of course, she wasn't aware that her innocent behavior only made things harder for the poor knight.

Ram looked over at Subaru and said, "Here we are, Barusu. We promise not to tell the townsfolk of your dating troubles, so long as you don't try to insinuate that we're your dates. We'll leave you to do… whatever it is that you came here to do. Just remember not to be too forward with the townswomen. Most of them are married." She playfully smirked as he sighed in exasperation.

Rem helpfully chimed in, "Don't worry, Subaru. I'm sure there are a few girls your age here that might want to marry a knight!"

Subaru was slowly losing his mind as Ram intentionally tormented him and Rem unintentionally made it worse. He meekly smiled at the two before saying, "Thanks, Rem, but that's not why I'm here. I'm just trying to make sure that the village is safe from wild animals and mabeasts and to introduce myself to the townsfolk."

Rem looked surprised, having not known his intentions. "Oh, sorry, Subaru. Well, we'll leave you to it, we'll let you know when we're done shopping."

The twins both left Subaru to go into town first, so he took a moment to compose himself. He was wearing his full Knight regalia: caped uniform, duty sword and shield, the Mathers crest, the Lugnican dragon crest showcasing his Royal Knight status, and ceremonial dagger. He walked up to the entrance where a few impressed-looking villagers watched him enter.

Several children looked up in awe, and a well-built man approached Subaru. "Greetings!" the man said. "We heard news that Lord Mathers had hired a Royal Knight to help with the domain. You seem to fit the description! Would you like a quick tour of our little village?"

Subaru smiled at the muscled man, and accepted the tour offer. As he saw the sights of the village, several children went up to him, asking him questions along the way. He noticed that one girl with reddish-blonde hair seemed to particularly enjoy asking him questions. He learned that her name was Petra, and she thought knights were really cool.

"Sir Knight! Um, why did you come to our village? Are you here to protect us?" Petra's innocent voice beckoned seemingly endless questions.

Subaru replied with his best knightly voice, "Well, yes, I am going to protect as much as I can for Lord Roswaal. I want to visit here regularly to check up on everyone. I heard there are mabeasts around here, so I'm going to help check beyond the barrier for signs they might try an attack."

Petra lit up with excitement. "You're going to visit regularly? That's awesome! I get to see a cool knight all the time!" She waved her arms in the air as she celebrated with the other kids. They all ran off, jumping for joy.

He thought to himself, _Phew, I don't hate kids, but they can be so persistent! Now, I can finally check the barrier. I remember Emilia-tan telling me how it keeps the mabeasts away, and if any of the barrier stones go out, the village could be in danger._

The villagers mostly left him alone as he checked the barrier. All the stones were shining brilliantly: evidence that it was intact and keeping the mabeasts out. As he checked the last stone, he felt a tug at his sleeve. He turned around to see a young girl with bluish hair and olive-green eyes.

She meekly said, "O-oh, hello, mister! I, um, just wanted to ask your name. I didn't get a chance earlier when the other kids were talking to you."

Subaru smiled widely and introduced himself. "Nice to meet you! I'm Sir Subaru Juukulius, a Royal Knight under the command of Lord Roswaal Mathers. What's your name, young miss?"

She seemed surprised by his proud introduction, but she slightly bowed and said, "M-my name is Meili. Um, sorry, I have to go now! Goodbye!" She scurried away back toward the village to rejoin the other kids.

He gave a slight chuckle at the girl's awkward introduction. He thought nothing of it, and finished checking the last stone. It was still bright, so he left to go find the twins. He found them hanging around the village square, where Ram was seated and Rem stood attentively.

"Barusu, there you are. We finished almost 15 minutes ago. So, are you going to introduce us to the lady you've spent all that time with?" Ram stared at him with a mocking expression as she lazily got up.

Rem looked shocked, and said, "Wow, in just the first day? You must have a way with the ladies, Subaru!"

He was practically fuming at Ram's continued torment. "I was just checking the barrier stones! I hardly even spoke to anyone except to answer some questions for the kids!"

Rem clasped her hands and said with a smile, "Oh, good, Subaru! You're making sure everyone's safe. That's, uh, a good knight thing to do!"

He weakly responded, "Thanks for the support, Rem..."

Subaru noticed a large barrel between the maids. It was clear that this was what he had to carry. Before he could ask, though, the village children surrounded him and started tugging at his sleeves. The twins appeared stunned by how popular he had become with the kids.

Petra, acting as the ringleader, shouted, "Sir Knight guy! Meili found this cute puppy! Come take a look! Come on!"

Ram sighed as Subaru looked over at her. She said, "Go ahead and entertain the children a little longer, Barusu. I'll just make you carry more stuff home."

The kids yelled with joy as they dragged him off near a fence where Meili was waiting. She ducked under the fence and walked into the woods for a bit, returning shortly after holding a small puppy, barely larger than her hands. It looked utterly adorable as it flopped around in her arms.

The kids all went over to pet the puppy. Subaru smiled as he walked over, but soon froze when his spirits appeared to warn him.

_MABEAST MABEAST IT'S A MABEAST_

The other kids didn't seem to hear the spirits at all, and as such were oblivious to the warning. He frantically shouted at Meili, "Put the dog down! It's a mabeast in disguise! It could hurt you really badly!"

The other kids all fell backwards when Subaru shouted, though Meili continued to stand in the same place. The children ran behind Subaru, terrified after Subaru claimed it a mabeast. She continued to smile and hold the puppy.

"It's ok, Mister Knight! It's really just a cute puppy, I don't know why you think it could be a mabeast!" She smiled innocently, completely unaware of the danger in her hands.

His expression hardened as he tried to calmly convince her. "Meili, I know it seems like a cute puppy, but my spirits are capable of detecting mabeasts. They have told me that the puppy is a mabeast. You need to release it so I can kick it out of the village."

Her face fell after he mentioned the spirits. "Oh… The spirits told you it's a mabeast?"

He became slightly suspicious of her nonchalant reply. "Kids… go back to the square and warn the adults. I'll stay here and keep any other mabeasts away." He began thinking back to his first night...he had seen a small figure in the woods with mabeasts...could she have been...

As the kids ran off, he cautiously asked his confirmation question. "Meili...I saw someone in the woods with a bunch of mabeasts the other day…"

Her eyes widened as he said that. She very hastily said, "B-but, I didn't see anyone-!"

He caught her red-handed. She couldn't have known that he had seen her in a previous life, and she gave the classic incriminating denial. She gripped the pup and ran out to the woods. He gave chase, shouting, "Get back here! I have questions for you about these mabeasts!"

Ram and Rem had noticed the kids running back, looking scared. They saw Subaru appearing to confront a girl holding what appeared to be a puppy, when she suddenly darted off to the woods. They heard him shouting for her to come back, and that he had questions about the mabeasts as he chased her. They became very concerned.

Rem looked worried at her elder twin. "Sissy, I think he was saying something about that girl and mabeasts? Should we go after them?"

Ram closed her eyes and thought for a moment. She narrowly opened them as she said, "Sister, I think we should stay here in case he comes running back with mabeasts behind him. We might need to help defend the village. He may be a knight, but even a knight would be hard-pressed to fight a bunch of mabeasts alone."

The twins left their supplies with the villagers as they went toward where Subaru ran off, anxiously awaiting his return.

Subaru chased Meili through the woods, shouting at her to stop, and that he wouldn't hurt her if she surrendered. After going through a decent portion of the woods, he was suddenly cut off by a small pack of grown mabeasts. He drew his sword and shield as he prepared to fight the mabeasts.

"Huma!" he cried. A protective layer of ice covered his shield and he took a defensive position. Three mabeasts charged, closing in on Subaru. He leapt up into the air with his weapons raised in order to dodge them, though one of the mabeasts attempted to follow Subaru into the air. A slash to the right and a bash to the beast in midair eliminated two of the monsters.

Two beasts down, one to go.

A last mabeast took the fallen beast's place, and the two charged him together. Standing his ground, he called out, "Minya!" Six crystals popped up and struck the mabeasts, crystallizing them. He turned around to try and find Meili who appeared to be watching from afar. Seeing he had defeated the four beasts, she ran again. He ran as fast as he could to try and catch up with her. It was clear as day that she was connected to the mabeasts, possibly even controlling them somehow.

He ventured further into the woods and stumbled upon another horde, this time comprised of ten mabeasts. He decided to utilize his stronger spells. "El Minya!"

Crystallized yin fired in all directions, turning all the mabeasts into statues, and Subaru took the opportunity to dash at Meili, who had closed her eyes in terror.

He dashed over, but she opened her eyes again before he could reach her. She finally let go of the puppy and ran behind it as the puppy turned into a massive monster. He was stunned as the giant beast snarled at him. He put himself into a fighting stance as he stared down what was apparently the boss monster.

The boss immediately attempted to chomp Subaru. He rolled backwards, then responded by bashing its nose with his shield. The boss recoiled in pain before snarling again. As it swiped with its huge paw, he slashed at it with his sword, taking a toe off. The boss backed away a bit, then howled loudly. Immediately, twenty other mabeasts surrounded Subaru.

 _This doesn't look good for me,_ he thought. He decided to try his trump card, hoping that there weren't any other mabeasts nearby.

"Ul Minya!"

A wave of yin shot off in a circle surrounding him, crystallizing every tree, mabeast, and even mushroom around him. All twenty smaller mabeasts turned into statues, and the boss found most of its lower body crystallized. It struggled in vain to try and move as the crystallization process slowly made its way up its body.

Meili ran out in front of the boss beast, crying, "No! No, please stop this! They're my family!"

He was stunned by her appeal. Unfortunately, he knew he couldn't do anything about it now. It was simply the way Minya worked; targets that can't resist its effects get crystallized after being hit. The boss was beyond saving, even if he had a great spirit under contract.

He sighed. "Meili...I can't do anything now. I'm not powerful enough to reverse the process. I'm afraid I have to arrest you now. Please come peacefully so I don't have to do anything drastic." He slowly made his way to the crying girl.

She didn't seem to be able to run anymore as he grabbed onto her arm and lead her out of the forest. She wouldn't respond to any of his questions as they walked and he decided to stop trying after five attempts.

Eventually, he made it back to the edge of the village, where he found the twins waiting for him. Both ran up, seeing Meili being all but dragged along.

Ram asked, "So, what's going on, Barusu? Why did you chase a child into the woods?"

She stopped when she saw the harried look on his face. He told her, "Ram, it's time to be serious. She was controlling the mabeasts. She hid behind them and sent them at me to slow me down. The village kids could have been in serious danger if my spirits hadn't warned me that her puppy was a mabeast."

Rem held her hand to her mouth. "She was commanding mabeasts?!"

Ram narrowed her eyes. "Barusu, I'm loath to admit it, but I'm willing to believe you since Lord Roswaal says you can be trusted. We should take her back to the manor to be imprisoned until we can interrogate her. You can continue to escort her; we'll take care of the ingredients. We should hurry back, the others will be missing us, and maybe even you."

The three and their young prisoner walked back to the manor, where they found Emilia waiting in the courtyard. She ran over, but stopped when she noticed Subaru holding onto Meili's arm.

Emilia raised her eyebrow and asked him, "Baru-tan, who is this you've brought back here?"

He responded, "Hey Emilia-tan, sorry, she's actually here as a prisoner. We believe she may have been trying to attack the village with mabeasts for unknown reasons."

She looked aghast at the accusation. "Subaru! You're really accusing a _CHILD_ of attacking a village by controlling mabeasts?!"

Ram and Rem set their ingredients down, and Ram turned to face Emilia. "Lady Emilia, I have reason to believe what Sir Barusu says. His spirits are capable of detecting mabeasts, apparently, and they warned him when she brought a puppy into the village from beyond the barrier. It might have been a trap that he managed to stumble into."

Rem also chimed in, "Lady Emilia, he ran off into the woods after mentioning mabeasts. I could hear a confrontation after that. I'm very certain he must have been attacked by an ambush. It seems like a strong connection."

Emilia was flabbergasted that both maids were supporting Subaru's argument. Just then, Puck flew out, floating in front of her with the intention to talk.

"Lia, I know it seems impossible, but Subaru is telling the truth. I can tell he believes what he's saying, and if you look closely, you can see evidence that he's been in a fight with mabeasts."

At Puck's direction, she looked closer at Subaru. Sure enough, there were small cuts in his cape, a few slight dents in his shield, and bits of dried blood on his face. She also noticed his spirits weren't manifested, a sign they were drained of mana.

She put her hand over her mouth. "I-I don't know what to believe...I just can't understand how a child could do such a thing...but if Puck says you aren't lying…"

She sighed in defeat. She told herself that Subaru was her knight, and so she would do her best to believe him. If this seemingly pre-teen girl was indeed controlling the mabeasts...surely he wouldn't lie about something like that. She nodded, and Subaru took Meili into the mansion, down to the holding cells.

Despite the fact the cells rarely got used, the maids were still cleaning them, so they were more or less prepared for use. He was a little dismayed that the cells had no comforts whatsoever; even the capital city's jail cells had cots. He looked a bit sorrowfully at Meili, who looked scared and still on the verge of tears. He gently moved her into the cell nearest the door, and locked the door once she was in. She glumly sat down against a wall.

He quietly told her, "I'm sorry there's nothing in here. I'll see if I can at least get a bed and pillow for you."

She looked up with surprise. She didn't say anything, but she almost looked...happy when he mentioned a bed and pillow? It was like she didn't expect to receive such things. He thought, _things must be really bad in the kingdom if criminals don't expect beds. In Japan, it would be considered a crime against humanity for criminals to not get some comforts!_

He went to find Ram. He figured she would be more willing to go along with the idea, being the more level-headed of the twins, despite her constant teasing. Lucky for him, she was just around the corner as he left the dungeons.

He asked, "Ram, do we have any spare cots or beds that I can put in her cell? I don't feel good about making her sleep on the floor."

She looked back at him with a surprisingly soft gaze. "Barusu, I believe one of the spare servant's quarters could have its equipment spared. I can't help you drag it over, but if you're willing to do this yourself, have at it. I'll inform Lord Roswaal of your plans. I doubt he will be upset." She nodded, and took her leave.

He was surprised by her suddenly demure attitude. She had yet to show her soft side to Subaru. When she was nice, it was always veiled beneath a layer of sarcasm and tsundere attitude.

The twin-size mattress from the spare servant's quarters was surprisingly light. He dragged it through the hallway with one arm while carrying a pillow and blanket in the other. After trudging all the way back down to the dungeon, he walked in to see Emilia trying to talk to Meili. She turned to see him with all the supplies, and she ran over to help.

"Baru-tan! I was worried she wasn't going to even have a place to sleep. I'm glad to know you thought the same thing. I guess we think more alike than I thought!" She looked relieved, especially after how tense she looked when Subaru brought Meili in the first time.

The two worked together to put the mattress into the cell, sitting snug against a wall. Meili stood as far as she could from Emilia, which didn't go unnoticed by her. After setting up the mattress, she left the cell to let Subaru finish setting up the bed. She watched as he spoke gently to her.

"Hey, Meili. Can you do me a favor and tell me if this is ok? I don't want your time here to be too uncomfortable." His voice was full of genuine concern for the would-have-been killer.

She looked down as she laid on the bed. She then awkwardly threw the blanket across herself, as though she'd never used one in her life. She didn't even put her head on the pillow. He took a moment to show her how to use both of them. Soon, she was as tucked in as you'd expect from a toddler, not a near-teenage girl.

She remained quiet a little longer, before finally acquiescing to his request. "It's okay, I guess." Her voice was quiet and shaky, despite her attempt to sound nonchalant.

Despite that, she seemed to nod off very quickly, so he decided to leave the cell, lock it back up, and walk away with Emilia.

Nothing else extraordinary happened during the day. Ram was asked to keep an eye on Meili, who slept for the rest of the day, only waking up when Ram arrived to bring her some food and water. Subaru felt very tired from the day, and retired to his room immediately after dinner. Rem brought him some lemonade, and left him to relax.

As nighttime overtook the grounds, he decided that it was time to hit the hay. He was gonna wake up, eat breakfast, and try to get Meili to answer a few questions. He hoped that his displays of kindness would help encourage her to be more forthcoming. He hated using kindness to try and manipulate anyone, because he really couldn't stand the idea of anyone sleeping on a cold, hard floor.

He sank down into the bed as he got comfortable for the night. He began to drift off into sleep, when he was stirred by the sound of a light wind blowing across his face. It felt very chilling, like someone was breathing on him.

He opened his eyes, to see his worst nightmare come true, illuminated by the pale moonlight. A woman with jet black hair, equally dark eyes, and a shockingly revealing outfit. _Elsa, the Bowel Hunter._

She laid down on the bed next to him, caressed his cheek, and began to speak in a very quiet tone. "Well, well, if it isn't the dear junior knight whom I faced back in the loot house. I hope you've kept your guts safe for me. However, I suggest that, for the moment, you don't scream."

Something about the way she said it made it sound less like a threat, and more like a request. In the hopes he wasn't about to get his belly cut open again, he slowly nodded his head in agreement.

She smiled and practically purred as she said, "Oh, good, good. I didn't come here to fight, you see. Well, originally I had, but I changed my mind. You seem to have taken my dear adoptive sister into your custody. I was quite upset...until I noticed that you provided her with a bed, blanket, even a pillow. Honestly, she's never had these things anywhere, not even back at our little home."

He was confused by the assassin. Was she...thanking him for arresting Meili?

She giggled, as if she'd heard his thoughts. "I suppose I am a little grateful you've taken her in...Better here than back there...Anyway, I'm here to make you an offer, 'Sir Subaru'. As long as you keep her here and you don't so much as harm a hair on her head, I'll stay out of it. Also, don't tell anyone she is here, not even your fellow Royal Knights. If anyone outside of this mansion finds out, I will come for you, knight. And I will have those lovely guts of yours."

She moved her hand that was caressing his cheek, making a light, though threatening, motion across his abdomen, showing him exactly where she would cut him open. He knew it was no idle threat.

She put her hand right back on his cheek as she prepared to speak once more. "I don't expect you to keep her here indefinitely...I'll let you know, either directly or with a note, when you can let the secret out. You have to wait for my signal, though. Do you understand?"

He warily nodded his head. Her smile changed into a slight grin, as she brought her head up against his, staring directly into his eyes.

In a seductive voice, she said, "That's a good boy. I had hoped you would be receptive to my offer. I'll see you again sometime, handsome...Keep those guts safe."

She removed her hand and slid back off of his bed. His heart rate started to go down as the terrifying woman stopped her surprisingly distasteful act. She slyly smiled as she faded back into the shadows of the room.

After what seemed like an eternity, Subaru was able to finally get back to sleep. He was certain that he'd have nightmares about Elsa for sure. Having his cheek molested by a bloodthirsty killer...even if she hadn't meant any trouble this time around. He was gonna have to ask Emilia to rub that cheek.

Sunlight crept into the room, as Subaru began to stir. He felt a little ill from his 'encounter' the other night, and, as such, laid in bed for a little longer to let the thoughts of Elsa's sickening seductive act leave. As he stared at the ceiling, Rem knocked on his door. He had learned how she knocked over the last few; it always sounded the same.

"Subaru? Are you awake?" Her gentle voice called from the hall.

Subaru responded with a crackly voice, "Y-yeah, come in!"

She gently opened the door, and saw him staring blankly at the ceiling. Before she went to take care of her usual morning activities, she decided to go check on him first. He still smelled like a cultist, but she noted that the scent was much weaker than it had been the first day. She felt even more relieved that she had listened to her sister. She had been wrong to judge him so quickly.

She held her hand to his head, which broke him out of his staring contest with the ceiling. She asked him, "Subaru? Are you ok? You're usually up and stretching by the time I arrive. Thankfully, you don't have a fever, but are you feeling sick otherwise?"

He looked at her to see genuine worry in her eyes. He thought, _I guess she's starting to view me as someone to actually care about now. That means that I'm doing my part right._

He reassured her, "No, I'm ok. I just...had a bad dream last night, is all. Nothing like the nightmares I've had, but I was still unsettled by it."

She straightened back up and smiled as she said, "Oh, well I'm glad you aren't sick. Flora had warned me that you occasionally have nightmares. If it bothered you, would you like to talk about it? I've heard that it sometimes helps to talk about bad dreams."

"No, it's fine. I'd rather not discuss it. Thank you for offering though, Little Sis."

"Of course, 'Big Bro'. Would you like me to come back and fetch you when breakfast is about to be served?"

He nodded, and smiled. "Thank you, Rem. I'll see you again when breakfast is almost ready."

She returned the smile and left him to get ready. After forcing himself out of bed, he sat in the bath for a while, wondering why the universe would pull such a cruel prank as having Elsa violate him first with multiple deaths, and then a second time by molesting his cheek! He gave himself a light slap to snap out of it, and thought about what he was going to ask of Meili.

During breakfast, Emilia insisted that she go with Subaru to talk to Meili, because she was worried about the whole situation still. They decided it might help to bring some snacks, so Rem and Flora gave them some cookies and lemonade. Ram had already brought her breakfast, so this would really just be a light snack.

The two arrived in the dungeon to find Meili sitting down on the bed, looking at the wall. She looked over when she heard them walking toward her. She gazed at the cookies and lemonade curiously, as Subaru opened up the cell door to enter it. Emilia was going to wait outside and listen, only interrupting if necessary. She feared that if she started asking questions, Meili would be too intimidated to answer someone resembling the Witch.

Subaru offered Meili the plate of cookies, and a cup of lemonade. She was slightly suspicious, but the cookies and lemonade smelled good, so she tried a cookie first. The overwhelming sweetness of the cookie showed on her face immediately, as her eyes went wide and she held her hand against her cheek. She then drank the lemonade to wash it down and was bombarded by its incredible flavor. Her eyes betrayed how much she loved the snacks.

She ravenously devoured the remaining cookies so fast that she got crumbs all over her clothes. She also finished her lemonade in a few gulps, panting for breath as she recovered from eating and drinking so fast. She fell over on her bed, with the biggest childish smile Subaru had seen in some time. Emilia, watching from outside, also smiled, satisfied that Meili had enjoyed the cookies.

Subaru waited for a bit for Meili to catch her breath and calm down. As she settled down, he finally spoke up. "So, did you like your snack?"

She suddenly snapped back up, realizing she had lost focus. She turned to face him, and realized that she had already entirely given away how she really felt about the sweet treats. Her face turned a slight shade of red, ashamed of herself for so easily letting her feelings be shown.

She finally responded, "I-it was good, I guess, mister."

He folded his arms together, satisfied with the response. "Well, I'm glad you liked it. I'll bring you more here and there while you're with us. Now, I'd like to ask you a few questions." Before he continued, he turned to Emilia. "For this first one, though, Emilia-tan, can I ask you to leave? I'll call you back in after I ask. It's important that only she and I discuss it."

Emilia was stunned, but she nodded and left. Once the dungeon door closed, he looked at Meili again, and prepared a serious tone of voice.

"Meili. Did you have a visitor here last night? Please answer me honestly. Obviously you haven't been freed, but I have reason to believe someone may have come here."

Her eyes widened. How could he know Elsa was there? She had slipped in to tell Meili to stay put for now, for her own safety. She had told Meili that she felt like the mansion's residents wouldn't hurt her, and she would check back as much as she could to ensure she was unharmed. More than anything, though, she said Mama still didn't know what happened to her, since Elsa had found Meili's tracking metia dropped from her pocket, and crushed it under her heel, destroying her shoes afterward. If Mama found out she failed, it wasn't going to be good for her.

She decided to play ignorant. "I was asleep all night, mister, I don't have any idea if someone came to visit me."

He decided to try and draw the answer out, like he did the other day. "Are you sure about that? Surely your adoptive older sister would say hi while she was around here."

Her jaw dropped, but she immediately brought it back up, trying to play it cool. "W-what are you talking about, mister? I don't have a family of any kind, especially not an older sister."

He cheekily responded, "That's funny, because she told me you were her adoptive younger sister. Perhaps next time she visits, I should tell her she is wrong?"

She was shocked. Elsa also visited him? She figured that, if that's the case, then the jig is up; she can't play ignorant if that's true.

She dejectedly responded, "N-no, mister, that's ok. Don't do that. Did she tell you her name, at least?"

He matter of factly responded, "No, but that's because I've met her before. Elsa, also known by the title Bowel Hunter. She had a very interesting request for me, under the threat of losing my guts. She asked me to keep you safe and hidden. So, it looks like you'll be staying here for a while, and we'll be getting to know each other."

She was stunned that Elsa would make such a request. She had never really gone out of her way to do anything for her before, and never anything as grand as this. The two assassins may have considered each other sisters, but it had always been a fairly guarded relationship. After all, they were only supposed to love Mama. Did something happen that caused Elsa to change?

She looked back up at him, letting down her guard just a little bit. "Okay then, mister. I'll answer some of your questions, but I will tell you if I don't want to answer."

He nodded before yelling out, "Emilia! You can come back in!"

She opened the dungeon door and hurried back in, eager to stay around and keep an eye on how this all unfolded.

Subaru turned his attention back to Meili. "This is Emilia. She's here because she is also concerned and wants to make sure you're safe and secure. Now, I'm gonna get started here."

Subaru spent some time asking Meili questions. True to her word, she did answer some questions, such as her background and her ability to control the mabeasts. She acknowledged that she was planning to attack the village on someone's orders. As to who ordered the attack, she refused to say. She also said that she harbored no ill will toward the villagers, and even that she felt kind of sorry that she was supposed to attack them. Emilia could barely believe her ears as Meili so openly confessed to planning the attack on the village.

After the questioning, he decided to try and get to know her a little more. Based on her reactions to things like a bed and sweets, he knew she didn't receive these sorts of things, so she was probably either neglected or mistreated.

He asked her, "Meili, before now, where did you live?"

She nonchalantly replied, "Oh, I would usually just gather a bunch of leaves together and sleep with a few mabeasts to protect me. I usually don't stay in one place for very long."

 _That explains the bed,_ he thought. _She just lived out in the wild, working for whomever gives her orders, and Elsa was likely one of the only other people she ever interacted with normally._

He followed up with, "Before today, have you eaten anything sweet?"

She shrugged. "Recently, one of the village kids shared an appa with me. That's about it."

He lightly bit his tongue at the idea of an appa being considered on the same level as Rem's high-quality cookies, but he understood that she had never eaten anything sweet besides maybe a fruit here and there.

She then had a moment of realization, and said, "Oh, Petra told me she was going to bake cookies with her mom at the end of this week as a treat. I was really sad that she wasn't going to get to make them, but you made me remember that now she will. I, um, I guess it's a good thing you stopped me."

She seemed surprised at herself for saying those words. Even Emilia was wide-eyed at her revelation; she was actually _happy_ that she was stopped from accomplishing her goal. Both Subaru and Emilia felt a wave of relief as they now know she is capable of forming friendships, and caring for others. Maybe they could save her, somehow.

After about two hours of talking to Meili, Subaru decided to end the session. She seemed to have warmed up just a little bit, but she wasn't going to be sharing the big details anytime soon. He realized that she was probably employed by someone horrible and that she was afraid to say anything lest that employer find out and punish her. He reasoned that this must have been why Elsa threatened him to keep him silent.

Subaru locked up Meili's cell and walked out with Emilia. He requested that they go to his room for a moment to talk, and she accepted. They walked through the long corridor, and ran into a wandering Roswaal.

The jester-faced lord said, "O~oh, if it isn't Sir Su~baru and Lady Emilia. How is our new 'guest' holding up? Have you learned anything from her?"

Subaru answered, "We know that she was under orders to attack the village, but we haven't found out who issued the orders. She admits to being able to control mabeasts. I think we should keep her around until we can find out who gives her orders."

Roswaal shrugged. "Ve~ery well, Sir Subaru. I'll leave the interrogation in your ca~apable hands." He walked away with a steady grin across his face.

Eventually, Subaru and Emilia made it to his room. Once inside, they sat down on a sofa, side-by-side. Both of them had gotten used to this particular arrangement and thoroughly enjoyed it. Sadly, they couldn't enjoy it as much as Subaru would like, because he had serious news for her.

"Emilia, I think you should know, I received a visitor late last night...Elsa."

Her eyes went wide as she put her hand over her mouth. "By the Dragon! Subaru, are you ok? You don't have any injuries anywhere, do you? Let me look right now!"

He put his hand on her shoulder, which calmed her down a bit. "It's ok, Emilia. She didn't attack me, believe it or not. She came to talk about Meili. Turns out, she considers her to be something of a sister. She said to keep her imprisonment here a secret, or else she would come back and kill me."

She sank back into her seat with a look of pure worry on her face. "That's really it, Baru-tan? That's still scary, but I guess it's better than the alternative."

He smiled and wrapped his arm around her. "It'll be alright, I'm sure. We'll just keep this to ourselves. If the villagers ask, I'll tell them that Meili was sent to an undisclosed location. That should keep us in the clear."

She turned her head to look at him, and smiled after seeing his smile. "Ok, Baru-tan, I believe you. You can trust me to keep this a secret."

She got up and he brought his arm back to his side. "Sorry, I should really get back to my studies. I'll see you at lunch and dinner! Don't worry about coming up today, I have no letters to send." He waved as she left the room.

The rest of his day went about as normal. Rem assisted him with training after lunch again, and Ram teased him afterwards. One thing of note was that he had received two new letters today, one from the Karsten residence and the other from the Juukulius residence. He wondered, _How did Reinhard's letter get here a whole day faster than the others? I guess it took them a day to respond._

He took the letters up to read in his room. He started with the Karsten-marked letter.

_From the Honorable Duchess Crusch Karsten,_

_Thank you for your letter, Subaru. I have decided to reply for both myself and Ferris. I can understand why you have chosen to accept the assignment to Lady Emilia, and we wish to congratulate you for earning such a prestigious role. I had my doubts about her, but I did get to see that she was a kind soul while she was in my residence. I hope that you will be able to come back and visit all of us in the capital with your new lady so we can properly celebrate. I know that Sir Julius and Sir Reinhard will also want to celebrate their favorite protégé's achievement, and I would enjoy hosting this celebration. Take care of yourself, and please write back soon to let us know if you'll be able to visit._

_From Crusch and Ferris_

"Wow, Crusch really took the news well. I thought for sure that she'd be upset that I took another camp's offer. A party at the Karsten manor sounds like fun, though! Her chefs are the best in the entire kingdom, and they can make enough food to host a three-hundred-person banquet if required. Now, let's see what Julius sent me." He carefully laid down the letter from Crusch as he opened the next one, and began reading it.

_Dear Subaru, this is Julius. You've made me incredibly proud by becoming a personal knight for a Royal Candidate! I knew you had great potential lying within you, ever since that fateful day when I brought you into my home. Miss Crusch already informed me that she will host a celebratory event for you, so I look forward to when you come back and visit. We have plenty to talk about in order to ensure that you will be the best personal knight possible. I am already arranging for some of your personal effects to be sent over to your new residence. Please know that your suite in the Juukulius household will always be prepared and ready for you._

_From your brother, Julius_

Julius' acceptance meant more to him than anything else. He was ecstatic that his new brother was proud.

As he sat smiling at the wall, he heard a voice in the hall. "Sir Subaru! Please come out, it's urgent!"

He leapt out of his seat and went running into the hall, sword in hand. He found Rem and Flora, both with worried looks on their faces. Rem shakily said, "S-Sir Subaru, my sister saw an intruder around the perimeter of the grounds and went out to confront whoever it was. But, she hasn't come back, and when I went outside to look, I heard her wind magic. She's in danger! Please, come out with me and help her!"

Subaru had a determined look on his face. "Say no more. I'll get my shield, and we'll go figure out what's going on!"

Subaru and Rem went out together, and immediately they saw Ram standing at the entrance to the courtyard, and a figure they couldn't make out beyond her. They dashed out to back her up. As they approached, Ram was sent flying backward, to which Rem opened her arms to catch her.

Ram, with her eyes struggling to stay open, barely managed to tell Subaru, "B-Barusu, this woman...is extremely dangerous...I could match her, but I'm out of power. I'll have Rem bring me in and get Lord Roswaal...you'll need his help to defeat her. Be careful, Barusu..."

She went limp as she finished her sentence. Following her sister's instructions, Rem nodded at Subaru and ran back to the entrance. He ran towards the figure, who he was now able to see clearly. She was somewhat impish, with red eyes and blonde hair. She wore only hot pants and a bikini top, and a rose at the end of a very long and skinny ponytail. She wore a terrifying scowl and stood in a fighting stance.

"Who are you and why are you here?" He demanded of Ram's assailant. "If you do not end your assault, I will be forced to kill you!"

The woman laughed haughtily before angrily answering, "You think that a worm like yourself can kill me, an all-powerful being? How pathetic! I'll humor you with my name, though. You may call me Capella, Sin Archbishop representing Lust, and I will have your head for destroying my plans so easily, 'Sir Subaru'!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter! Arc 2 isn't coming to a close as easily as it did in the main story, but we just have 2 more chapters to go. After the end of Arc 2, I plan to take a couple months to really plan out Arc 3, because it's going to be radically different than the canon Arc 3.
> 
> Special thanks to my anonymous beta readers, who have been nothing but helpful and kind as they provided me with insight into making my chapter so much better. It is thanks to them that my work has become so much more coherent and readable.


	11. A Madwoman's Revenge

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Subaru's biggest threat to date arrives in the form of Capella, the Sin Archbishop of Lust, an incredibly powerful being with shapeshifting abilities. She is no idle threat, and it will take everything for the Emilia Camp to overcome her power!

Subaru faced down the Sin Archbishop of Lust, Capella. Instinctively sensing the need to protect himself, he shouted, "Huma!" and a layer of ice covered his shield.

He taunted Capella, "So, you managed to defeat one of Lord Roswaal's maids, you must be very proud of yourself!" He knew that it was a terrible strategy; however, it gave his spirits time to analyze her strengths and weaknesses so that they could better advise him.

"You dare to mock me, filth?!" she roared indignantly. "You've never known the terror of an enemy several times stronger than you, have you? Today, I shall instill true terror into you as I rip you apart, limb by limb!"

A feeling of confidence flowed through him as his spirits signalled their readiness. The imp raised her dagger and dashed blisteringly fast at him.

He put the shield in front of himself, and the impact of Capella's strike sent him flying backward towards the mansion. His shield was not broken, but the impact shattered his hand into what felt like a million pieces. He struggled to get back on his feet, and his shield hand was no longer usable; however, he had a new idea for how to deal with this problem.

He cried, "Huma!" and his arm below the elbow was covered by a large ice crystal. Loathe as he was to admit it, he remembered Elsa using a chunk of ice as a replacement foot, and applied a similar limb-replacement technique.

From behind, he heard the determined voice of his favorite half-elf.

"Subaru! I'm coming to help!"

Several large ice shards materialized above him, firing off in the direction of the intruder. He didn't even have time to blink before Emilia was right by his side, with Puck in tow.

"Subaru! I heard the commotion from my room, and I looked outside just in time to see you get pitched across the courtyard by an intruder, so I rushed out as fast as I could! Don't worry, we can face them together!" Her eyes were filled with resolve, determined to wreak havoc on whomever had hurt her only friend.

He could only think, _Who even uses the word pitch like that anymore?_ before the battle resumed. Capella spared no time in speeding towards the target of her hatred-Subaru.

"DIE ALREADY, YOU WORM!" She swung her blade so fast that he couldn't even see what direction it was going in, but using a feeling from his spirits he was able to barely block the strike. Sadly, his arm paid the ultimate price for blocking her strike, as it was sliced through like butter. He yelped in pain, holding what remained of his arm against himself as he fell to his knees. He was barely able to get a hold of himself long enough to cry out, "Goa!" He directed a flame at his arm stump, cauterizing the wound so he wouldn't lose more blood.

Emilia lost her focus on Capella as Subaru collapsed to the ground in pain. She witnessed him burn his arm to prevent blood loss, which terrified her despite the inherent logic of the action. She cried out, "Puck! Keep her distracted, I need to try and heal Subaru!"

The cat spirit attentively responded, "You got it, Lia! She has no idea who she's messing with here!"

She took his arm, casting healing magic so that he could get back up and fight again. However, he looked up and smiled at her, and said, "Don't worry too much about me, Emilia-tan. Let's try to take down this villain." Her magic had managed to dull the pain enough that he could stand, and he readied himself.

"Emilia, I'm going to use Al Minya. It'll be risky, but from what I understand, nothing can withstand its power. Can you and Puck direct her further away?

She looked shocked. "You can use an Al-level spell? Well, ok, I guess we can give it a try!" She directed Puck on Subaru's plan, and the two began firing in a pattern to try and corner Capella.

The incredible force of the icicle pattern forced Capella to move further and further back, until Subaru made a beeline to the side. His spirits manifested themselves as he pointed his finger at her, and cried out at the top of his lungs.

"AL MINYA!"

A cone of shining dark purple energy manifested from his fingertip, and shot off in Capella's direction. It took him all his strength to maintain the spell for a measly 5 seconds before he collapsed from exhaustion. He looked up to see a purple statue of the imp, and felt relieved; that sight meant the struggle was worth it, even if he lost his shield arm.

Emilia ran over to Subaru after watching him collapse. She saw he was still conscious, at least, much to her relief. She said to him, "Baru-tan, are you ok? That looked like it really took a lot out of you, but it was incredible. I had no idea yin magic was so powerful!"

He reached out his good arm, and she happily pulled him up into a seated position, resting on her surprisingly soft shoulder. He relaxed as she wrapped her arms around him. He looked out to see the statue of Capella, located right in front of-

"You know, handsome, you really shouldn't have underestimated her like that."

The mysterious voice made Subaru and Emilia spin around, right before a tremendous crash sent them flying away. The two looked back up to see Elsa, much to their mutual shock, using her knives to ward off... _A DRAGON?!_

"You…You dare betray me, child? After all that I've done for you, this is how you repay me? Then I shall remove all your love, by force!"

The black dragon sounded like Capella with a megaphone. Subaru turned around to where the statue had been, and found naught but a small crystal base. He turned back around to see that Elsa had recoiled to right in front of the duo, brandishing a shining white dagger.

She turned around, sweat on her brow, and quietly said, "I didn't think we'd meet again so soon, darling. I thought I could save my dear little sister from being punished by this horrible creature; she had already failed a few missions, and I feared this last failure would cost her life. I can only hope the three of us are enough to defeat her; I alone wouldn't stand a chance."

Dragon Capella flew high in the air, and after Elsa's explanation, she dive-bombed straight for the unlikely trio. Emilia shouted, "Ul Huma!" and a large icicle shot at Capella, while Elsa leapt into the air in an attempt to strike her. Unfortunately, Capella dodged the large ice spike, and chomped on Elsa like a berry. She flung Elsa into the air with her jaw, and blasted a stream of fire, incinerating Elsa.

After eliminating her, she flew down again toward the knight and his liege. Emilia and Puck sent as many crystals as they could after her, but she dodged them effortlessly. She blasted a stream of fire at the duo.

Subaru saw the stream of fire and attempted to roll out of the way, but ended up pinned to the ground when Elsa's shining dagger fell and impaled his sword arm. He could only manage a scream before the stream of fire vaporized him.

* * *

"S-Subaru, look ahead, there's my sister! She's in danger! We need to go help her!" Rem frantically shook Subaru out of his apparent daze as his mind caught up with his senses.

It took him a second, but he realized; he had Returned by Death. As he took a moment to process what happened before he died, a certain spirit came running out the front door.

"You there! It happened, I felt it! I need you to-"

He yelled as he interrupted, "Beako, if you look straight ahead, you'll get all the answers you need! Also, maybe you could help us out here?!"

Beatrice had been so focused on Subaru, that she'd failed to notice the intruder currently thrashing Ram. Once she turned her attention to the courtyard, Ram was launched backwards, which Rem reacted to by dashing out and catching her. Subaru ran out into the courtyard, with the worried Beatrice following behind.

Rem ran back with her sister, and shouted at Subaru, "I'm going to get Roswaal! That's what sissy told me to do!" and she was off. Subaru also remembered one other person who may be able to help; he briefly turned around and shouted up at the mansion,

"EMILIA-TAN! PLEASE COME OUT!"

He knew he wouldn't have to wait too long for her to arrive; after all, her elven ears were far superior to his own.

"You're really going to call the brat, I suppose? I guess Bubby could be helpful, but you'll be fine with me out here." Beatrice seemed unable to help criticising every action he took.

Mostly ignoring her criticism, he merely replied back with, "We could use all the help we can get. She's no ordinary intruder; she's a Sin Archbishop, and she can transform into a dragon."

She didn't even flinch. "A worthy target for my abilities then, I suppose."

They finally caught up with Capella, who stared at the two with an indignant face. She spoke with a degrading tone as she addressed them.

"Well, looks like the toad finally decided to show his face. He even brought a little girl with him! Did you think an offering would save you from my wrath?!"

Beatrice, totally unphased, replied, "I'll have you know I'm no little girl, I suppose. I am the Great Spirit of the Forbidden Archive, and you are a pest on the lawn. I only permitted him to be with me so he can dump your corpse somewhere in the woods when I'm finished, in fact." She sounded very smug as she finished her sentence.

She angrily responded, "You DAMNED brat! I'll show you your place! I am-"

"Sin Archbishop of Dust, or whatever, who cares, I'll get the broom. Beako, you do your thing." Subaru winked at Beatrice as he interrupted Capella, just to get a further rise out of her. He was pleasantly surprised when Beatrice managed a slight smile as Capella threw an absolute fit.

"YOU RUINED MY AWESOME INTRODUCTION! DEATH WON'T BE ENOUGH FOR YOU, MAGGOT! RAT! ABSOLUTE PIECE OF-"

"El Minya!" Beatrice cried out, as rows of crystals struck the screaming imp. The force of the crystals seemed to instantly crystalize her, bringing the screeching to an end. Beatrice turned around with a smug smile on her face, but her smile fell when she saw Subaru with a terrified expression.

He was desperately gathering his strength, and said to her, "Beako, the crystallization won't hold! Get ready, she's going to reappear as a dragon now!"

She turned around, and sure enough, the statue of Capella was no longer there. She looked in the sky to see the Black Dragon Capella doing a dive bomb.

A voice from behind called out, "Ul Huma!"

Capella was blown off course as a ten-meter long spear of ice smashed into her stomach. She cursed the half-elf that she had failed to notice entering the battlefield; she had been too focused on getting revenge on the troublesome spirit and knight.

"Subaru! Sorry I'm late! Puck and I are here to help you-and Beatrice? You convinced her to come out too?" Emilia was running as fast as she could over to her knight's side.

Beatrice pouted and snarkily replied, "I came out here of my own accord, I suppose. I can't very well ignore a Sin Archbishop attacking and possibly hurting my Forbidden Archive."

Puck then flew over with a serious face. "Betty, did you say a _Sin Archbishop?_ Like, of the Witch's cult?"

She answered, "Yes, Bubby. I'd have thought that obvious, I suppose."

Before they could continue, the dragon above them roared, causing them all to look upwards.

Flames sprayed in all directions as she thunderously roared at the group on the ground.

"You all have a lot of nerve, refusing to die! this time, i'll vaporize you all in one go!"

Subaru grabbed Beatrice's shoulder, pulling himself alongside her.

"Beatrice, her flame really is as powerful as she claims. Is there anything that you could do to stop her?" He seemed to be pleading with her for help.

She closed her eyes a moment, and replied, "There is, but I may need help maintaining it. If you, the elf -girl, and Bubby all consent, I can use all of our mana together to ward off anything, even Dragon's Fire."

He looked over at the other aforementioned parties, who nodded. Beatrice extended her hand, and Subaru took it. Puck flew onto her shoulder, and Emilia took Subaru's hand, forming a chain.

With her free hand, she aimed at Capella, whose mouth was already open and filled with fire. She chanted, "Ul Neutrino!"

Subaru could feel a massive amount of energy being generated, and felt the drain not only from himself but also from Emilia, who seemed to be able to offer far more energy than himself. A micro-singularity formed in her hand, which began pulling in nearby dust and air, but leaving the group unaffected since they were connected to the spellcaster.

It quickly expanded, and Beatrice sent it skyward, maintaining her focus. As planters and loose items flew upwards, Capella unleashed her fire of fury.

The energy drain increased five-fold as the singularity greatly expanded, distorting the plasma of Capella's fire right back at her, with part of it swallowed by the gravitational pull. The fire made its way back right to the unprepared Capella, taking most of the brunt of the flame.

"GRRRAAAAAH! Clever trick, spirit, but my own flame won't hurt me that much! looks like i'll need to get a little closer!"

Beatrice ended the spell, leaving the group somewhat worse for wear mana-wise. They readied themselves as Black Dragon Capella came crashing down into the ground a few meters away, bracing against the tremor of the impact.

They all flinched as she roared, revealing a mouth full of razor sharp teeth. As they watched, Beatrice realized the truth about Capella's form. Normal dragons only have sharp canines and incisors, but normal molars. Only one type of dragon has all sharp teeth...

"Bubby, everyone, she is no ordinary black dragon. She is a Curse Dragon, in fact. Horrible things will happen if we aren't careful." She wore an incredibly tense expression, both angry and fearful of the terrible foe in front of her.

Capella roared with laughter. "So, Someone does recognize this form? I had thought that knowledge was long dead. It will just need to die again, then!"

As she began moving toward the group, her attention was diverted as they heard the cry of a certain maid.

"This is for my sissy, cultist dragon freak!"

A morning star flew over the heads of the group, managing to barely scrape Capella's head as she jumped aside. They turned around to see Rem, with her glowing horn protruding. She had entered her Oni form to get revenge on Capella for gravely wounding her older sister, though Subaru didn't yet know about her Oni form and its powers.

Without missing a beat, she realigned the chain and flung the morning star in the new direction of the dragon, missing yet again as the dragon flew up.

Subaru and the group took a moment to discuss strategy while Rem was occupying Capella's attention. He looked at Beatrice and said, "We need a way to kill or at least incapacitate a shapeshifting dragon that has the ability to survive crystallization. Is there anything you can do? Or maybe there's a secret forbidden technique that could save the day?"

She was clearly annoyed as she answered back, "There are no secret forbidden techniques in magic, I suppose. Either a technique exists or it doesn't. If it doesn't, someone suitably creative could create a new spell or technique, I suppose."

She thought for a moment before adding, "I have an idea, though. I can use the power of Drain to weaken her. She might have enough raw mana flowing through her that I can use part of what I absorb to continue fueling the spell, so I may be able to cast a high level version without help. If I do that, I won't be able to cast anything else concurrently, so I'll be relying on the rest of you to land the finishing attack. I wouldn't recommend close range attacks; her cursed dragon blood would infect you on contact and cause horrible disfigurement, I suppose."

They all nodded. Plan in place, Subaru stayed by Beatrice temporarily, as a protector, while Emilia and Puck ran to the side in preparation. Beatrice held both of her hands out, and shouted, "Al Draina!"

A sickening red aura appeared around Capella, and she roared as she found herself being drained. She craned her neck to find the parasite leeching her energy, only to get smacked in the face with Rem's morning star. With the Drain spell active, her defenses were greatly lowered, and her blood spilled from the holes that the spikes left in her cheek. A fairly large splotch of the cursed blood poured above Rem, threatening to horribly injure the barely-in-control Oni. Thankfully, Subaru was paying attention, and ran over while shouting a quick incantation.

"Huma!"

A barrier of ice surrounded himself and Rem, as he barely made it in time to prevent her from being drenched in cursed blood. He grabbed onto her, holding her tight. Her horn retracted as his hug helped to stabilize her emotions, and she found herself tucking her head under his chin as she returned to her senses.

He told her as quietly as he reasonably could, "Thank goodness you're safe. I was so scared that I was going to lose you, and the last thing I want to do is lose the first sister I've ever had."

A tear fell down her face, unbeknownst to him. She felt the warm, familial energy that she craved from others but could never receive from anyone, save for her own sister, the love of whom she felt that she did not deserve. He was acknowledging that he really, truly felt a sense of kinship and caring for her, even though she had been suspicious of him at the start and slow to reciprocate his attempts to be friendlier. And now, he's saved her life. Just like how, thanks to his cover, she had been able to get her sister out of harm's way in time. She only wished that she could have found Lord Roswaal somewhere in the mansion...surely he could defeat this wretched cult leader without issue!

She replied with a trembling voice, "S-Subaru-kun...you saved me, and my sister...I will be in your debt forever. You really are a big bro, like you said you'd be!" With precious few seconds remaining, she quickly wrapped her arms around him in return, forever grateful that she put aside her distrust for him.

The two had to split as the ice barrier was beginning to give way. He led her back away before it collapsed, which drenched the area in cursed blood. They were able to get a better look at the battlefield; Emilia was using Puck's magic at range to skewer Capella, who lacked the energy to fly or dodge much. However, as much as the icicles skewered her, it seemed like she could still regenerate the parts of her that were destroyed within seconds of being skewered, despite Beatrice's Drain effect. With all the ongoing efforts, he just didn't see how they could land a decisive blow on her.

As he was surveying the field, a mysterious feminine voice spoke from behind him.

"Sorry I'm late, handsome. I didn't expect her to find my darling sister this fast. As you could no doubt guess, she is furious with her failure...and I have no desire to see my sister get hurt again."

Subaru and Rem turned to see Elsa, wearing her usual sadistic and gleeful smile. It was as if she had no other facial expression she _could_ wear. However, the object of her sadistic glare was not him, or Emilia, or any of his other friends-it was solely focused on Curse Dragon Capella.

She laid off the look a little as she looked at Subaru. "I know my entrance is sudden, but I had to appear while Mama's attention was occupied. You see, Meili and I both worked for her, but her constant abuse of Meili became too much for even an insane woman like myself to handle. I tried to rationalize it, that it was just simple punishment for a bad girl who couldn't complete her tasks. Her tortures just became worse and worse with time...I don't believe Meili would survive this failure. I can only breathe a sigh of relief that a spirit knight and a shockingly strong group of people took her in before Mama came to inspect."

He replied, with a PTSD-laden gulp, "I-I don't suppose you might know some weakness of your former employer? We're having plenty of trouble fighting her, as you can plainly t-tell."

She calmly replied, "As a matter of fact, I do have a few ideas. Dragons have naturally high resistances to the main magic elements, but they are supposedly weak to yin magic, and very weak to yang magic. That is likely why the spirit girl's Drain spell has left her hardly able to move. As far as yang magic, I happen to have a weapon enchanted with it."

She reached behind her cape, and drew a sparkling, bright white dagger, completely opposite to her outfit. She admitted, "I've been saving this blade for a very special occasion; today it will be adorned with cursed dragon blood. Thankfully for me, I'm immune to its effects. If you can get me close enough to her, I could finally see what dragon guts look like."

Subaru put his hand on his chin in thought. Emilia continued to keep Capella too busy to notice the plotters on the side, and Beatrice's Drain kept her from going anywhere.

He suggested, "Rem and I might be able to distract her as well. She knows water magic, I still have some yin tricks up my sleeve. I'll use my Shamac to deaden her senses, but I only have enough mana to maintain it for maybe 10 seconds at most. You think you could do your thing in that time frame?"

She smiled gleefully. "Oh, handsome, you're awfully kind to give me such a wide window. Perhaps I will refrain from trying to collect on those sturdy guts of yours."

He tried to ignore her final comment as he prepared to face Capella again. Elsa slipped out of sight, in preparation for the ambush, while Rem prepared her magic. Subaru and Rem looked at each other and smiled, before they took off running at Capella.

He shouted, "Hey you giant pile of dung! I bet you never thought we could defeat you, but here we are, kicking your ass!"

Capella turned to face him, smoke pouring out of her nose as she shook in fury.

"Don't get cocky, turd! You may have me pinned down now, but that spell holding me back will break at some point, and you'll all become dragon food!"

She charged up a fireball, and launched it at Subaru. He managed to dodge the attack thanks to a bit of mana acceleration from his spirits, and he cast his trump card.

"El Shamac!"

A dark cloud burst forth from his fingertips, enveloping Capella. As the dragon grunted, he saw Elsa appear from seemingly nowhere, brandishing her enchanted dagger. She rushed forth at a pace more fitting for lightning than a human, solely focused on her target.

She closed in on Capella, and prepared to take the lethal swing-only to end up crushed underneath Capella's foot.

"Ha! Did you apes really think such an obvious ploy would work on me? You may have blinded me with Shamac, but dragons have far more powerful senses than humans!"

Subaru could only watch in horror as she smashed Elsa to a pulp, before grabbing the enchanted dagger with her mouth and hurling it far away. He then realized that the red aura surrounding her was getting weaker, and she began to unfold her wings, which were now capable of movement.

She looked at him and prepared another fireball. He began to move out of the way, but she fired a weak fireball before he could move, hitting him and setting him on fire. The pain was immense, and he fell to the ground screaming. His screams caught the attention of all his friends, who all rushed over to try and help. However, Capella took advantage of their distraction to quickly turn the battle back in her favor. She launched fireballs at Rem and Beatrice, both of whom were badly damaged. Emilia had to ignore their screams as she rushed over to Subaru, in a desperate attempt to heal him.

"SUBARU! No, no, please, stay with me! I don't think I can make it without you, I need you Baru-tan..." She cast her healing magic, oblivious to the incoming stream of fire that Puck lacked the mana to block. Subaru ceased to be, as he and everything else around him were vaporized.

* * *

Subaru-if he could still be considered himself-was surrounded by darkness. This time, there were no shadows to greet him, no weapons taunting him. He found he could still move his head, or was it his head? Regardless, he could look in different directions, and even move his angle and position. He turned around and eventually saw her again...the Witch of Envy, Satella.

She wore a black dress adorned with large, yellow flowers and a hood that covered her ears and part of her hair; despite that, he could still see her long silver hair flowing down the sides of her face. He was shocked to realize that she looked exactly like Emilia, disregarding her choice of clothing. Everything: her height, the shape and color of her eyes, her mouth, nose. It was like they were opposite twins, except one was evil and the other good. Yet, despite that theory, she didn't seem to be emanating any form of hostility, nor was she exuding obvious evil. Emilia certainly wasn't the evil twin, though.

She quietly spoke, as a few tears gently ran down her face.

"I love you. You're the love of my life, and the only one I'll ever love No other person could ever hope to stop me from loving you with every ounce of my being, my darling."

He tried to respond, but the words wouldn't come. No thought of his was out loud and audible, even though he could clearly hear her voice. She walked towards him, and he found himself no longer able to move.

"My love...there is something I must tell you before I send you back. Your tactics are sound, but your techniques are lacking. You must rely on your creativity to defeat the Cursed Dragon. You've done it once before, by using magic in a way it wasn't originally intended: using Huma as an extra shield. Think about your yin affinity, and apply it in a unique way. Yin is all about the manipulation of spacetime; it affects the physical and metaphysical. What can you do with that kind of power?"

He thought for a moment. _The physical, and the metaphysical...Can yin be used to manipulate someone's mind?_

She smiled, reading his thoughts. "You're on the right track, my beloved. Just know that you can't mess with how, what, when, or why someone thinks or feels, because that falls in the domain of Authorities and Divine Protections."

_That's four of the 'five w's'. So, all that's left is where? I can change 'where' people think or feel? I'm not sure how that...but wait, that's exactly it, isn't it? Your mind exists within your body, but with yin, perhaps I can move the mind outside of it!_

She clasped her hands together excitedly. "How very astute! You're well on your way to coming up with a new application of yin magic. Now, it's up to you to figure out the rest. I can't teach you how to create a spell. I can, and will, believe that you are capable of creating a spell that will defeat that dragon."

Satella, known as the Witch of Envy...is encouraging him to defeat a Sin Archbishop of the Witch's Cult? Something about it just seemed inherently wrong. Surely, the cult was dedicated to reviving or unsealing her? Yet, she's actively undermining their efforts. Did she truly love Subaru so much that she would actively sabotage her cult's efforts in order to protect him?

Her form gradually began to fade. She looked at him with her tear-filled purple eyes shining like crystals as she continued to talk through her sobs.

"My love...I understand if you detest me, or even hate me...but I will never abandon you willingly. The Witch of Envy is taking control of me again...I don't have much longer. The last thing I wanted to tell you… is that I'm so happy you are still able to love in a world that hates you so much. Continue to take care of yourself."

He watched as the shadow army he witnessed once before reappeared, but this time, they were targeting her. Another figure appeared in the distance: a towering shadow, the size of a skyscraper. It closed the distance in the blink of an eye, and he could hear the shadow chanting.

**...loveyouloveyouloveyouloveyouloveyouloveyouloveyou…**

As her final act, Satella sent out a shadow arm that took hold of his consciousness. Unlike the usual sensation of cold pain, this arm was soft and warm, and gently pushed him away from the insane shadow that continued to profess nothing but stalkerish love.

* * *

"...you really are a big bro, like you said you'd be!"

Subaru quickly came to his senses as he realized Rem was hugging him and a wall of ice was protecting them from Capella's cursed blood.

He quickly said, "Alright Rem, we have no time to lose! Let's get out of here!" He yanked her out right before the ice collapsed, saving them from sure ruin. Even after getting away from sure death, she continued to cling to his arm, and started smelling the air.

She looked at him and asked, "You have a strong scent of the Witch again...did something happen? Did that nasty dragon hurt you?"

He thought, _Well at least she didn't draw the conclusion I was gonna go turncoat all of a sudden_ _._ He looked at her and explained, "I don't know why, but it happens whenever I have a vision. I just had one a moment ago as I was holding you."

Thankfully, she accepted that answer. "How foul, the cult must have somehow done this to make people distrust you. We'll make them all pay for what they did to you, me, and my sister."

At that moment, Elsa chose to make her presence known with an audible sigh, causing the two to look back at her.

"Hello there again, handsome. I didn't wish to interrupt your cute moment there, so I hope you'll forgive me for sitting here quietly for a bit. I heard you mention a vision?"

He panicked a little on the inside. The last person he wanted to know about this ability was a potential enemy. It was too late to take it back, though.

He reluctantly said, "Yes, I did. In it, you attempted to attack her with an enchanted dagger after I blinded her with my yin magic, but she still crushed you and regained the upper hand." He still didn't know if he could mention his own death, so he tended to stop short of saying it outright.

She frowned, disproving his earlier theory she was only able to wear a sadistic smile. "My, how unfortunate. I knew Mama was exceptional, but knowing she could even defeat me while blind…How very disheartening. However will we manage to defeat her, then?"

He thought about what Satella told him. He just needed to find a way to use Yin magic in a unique way, relevant to manipulating where a mind is…

He felt his spirits shake in anticipation. They signalled they were willing to try their hardest to help him. With their support, he felt encouraged to try something totally new.

He put on a determined face and told Elsa, "I have an idea. I think I know a spell that might be able to prevent her from reacting to you for a while. On my signal, you can attack her with your special dagger."

She met the look on his face with her own look of glee. "Your determination is even greater than when I faced you at the loot house. Truly, you're one of the most interesting men I've ever had the pleasure to meet. Therefore, this one time, I'll bend to your instruction." She slunk away, into the few shadows permeating the brightly lit courtyard.

Rem looked at Subaru and asked, "Who was that, Subaru-kun? Why was she so familiar with you?"

He quickly said, "Sorry, no time to explain now, but I promise I will later. Can you help Emilia distract Capella so I can go over to Beako?"

She smiled and replied, "I'll do whatever I can to help you!"

She ran off and began firing her ice magic in coordination with Emilia and Puck, the three keeping Capella from concentrating on one thing for too long.

As he made his way to Beatrice, he thought about how he'd name his new spell. _What I'm trying to do is separate her mind from her body, like some kind of mental rift...That's it! 'Rift'! Sounds cool AND easy to chant! Just add 'as' and you get Al Riftas!_

Subaru caught up with Beatrice, who was struggling to maintain her Drain on Capella. She noticed him arrive and immediately complained, "Why are you back over here, I suppose? You can tell me about your second "experience" after we defeat this thing. Unless you learned something important involving me?"

He was understandably unwilling to bring up Satella, so he tried using what she told him earlier.

"Beako, you said someone creative enough could make a new spell, right?"

She looked at him cockeyed as she kept Capella drained. "I did mention that, but I doubt you have the capacity to come up with something on the spot. Are you trying to tell me you had some brilliant idea far beyond your level of thought?"

He whined a little as he responded, "That's mean, Beako! Anyway, yes, I did! I call it Rift, and the idea is to separate someone's conscious mind from the rest of themselves. But, I don't think I have enough power to cast it alone. I need your help."

She was stunned. "That sounds a lot like Shamac, I suppose...but perhaps...if this is a more advanced type of it, then maybe I can help you. I see that the others have inflicted a lot of damage already, that gives me a little time to assist you. I will need to dip into my reserves, which I had hoped to avoid doing. I will hold the Drain for a little longer while you prepare yourself."

With Beatrice agreeing to assist, he mentally prepared himself for visualizing how he'd cast the spell. As both his original magic teacher and Julius always told him, when learning a new spell, figure out a focus and a target. Goa is a good example; focus on the flame, and send it to a target. It was so easy to use that even the least magically inclined person could learn to cast it.

Yin and yang spells were usually trickier; even a simple spell like Shamac required some level of concentration to maintain its effects for more than a split second, and you could forget learning it if you weren't a talented spellcaster, or failing that, if you lacked the affinity for yin magic. So, trying to use a spell that no one has ever cast required serious talent and ability, both of which Subaru relatively lacked. He had to trust that his spirits and Beatrice could provide the power to his visualization.

He imagined what Rift might be like. Could it be like scissors, severing a connection between mind and body? Or maybe it's more like a clamp, stopping the flow of information. His favorite idea, though, was that of a hand removing the soul from the body, leaving it dangling above until the mana runs out and the hand lets go. He would try and use that idea as a focus.

He finally looked over at Beatrice, and said, "I'm ready. Let's do this."

Beatrice stopped casting Drain, and silently offered her hand to Subaru. His spirits manifested and began to slowly circle him, focusing their mana in preparation for the spell to be cast.

"Al Riftas!" he cried.

He felt the power of Beatrice and the spirits flow as he visualized the hand. The gargantuan sized hand cruelly gripped Capella, who reacted in shock as she felt her very soul detach from her dragon form. The hand lifted her mind into the air, causing the dragon to simply become comatose.

To the other observers, they heard Subaru shout an unknown magic, and then Capella collapsed, becoming still on the ground. They then heard him shout, "Elsa! Here's your chance!"

The assassin gleefully jumped out from a large bush, and dashed over to Capella. She swung with her full strength, making a massive gash in the dragon's neck. Cursed blood exploded all over Elsa, though she seemed no worse for wear aside from some dark splotches covering her. Blood continued to pour out, with Emilia and Rem running back toward safety, away from the blood splatter. Elsa leapt over Capella's body, aiming for the dragon's soft underbelly.

As Subaru kept the spell up, he could feel his spirits begin to waver. The mana was drained out faster than they could keep up, and they were dangerously low on power. Beatrice, meanwhile, was attempting to make up the deficit by dumping even more of her reserve mana into the spell. Anything to keep holding Capella's soul away as Elsa hacked away at her internal organs.

He was close to shutting the spell to save his spirits from fading. However, before he could, they spoke to him.

_Subaru. We trust you, and we care more about you than anyone else in the world. You gave our empty lives meaning time and time again. If we give up now, that nasty beast will revive and kill all of you. We would rather burn through our od_ _than risk that happening. Please allow us to continue casting the spell!_

A tear rolled down his cheek, knowing how strongly they felt about this. Even Beatrice was moved by their willing sacrifice to save everyone, and she shed a tear as well. Perhaps, it was because she longed to care for someone and be cared for like these spirits were.

He continued casting as the spirits began to burn through their od. Elsa was still hacking her way through the dragon, looking for any vital parts that could finally, permanently kill her exceptionally cruel and evil employer. As she dug deeper and deeper, she finally found what she was looking for: a pulsating, grotesque mass of flesh that one might compare to a heart. Supposedly, when all else fails, there is a legend that you can permanently kill a dragon by tearing out its heart and incinerating it. Even a heart left to beat could possibly allow it to regenerate in full.

She furiously sliced apart the arteries and veins, and then she dragged the heart out. She slammed the ugly heart against the ground with a heavy groan, and then called out, "Fire! We need fire magic!"

Puck said to Emilia in response, "That's our cue, Lia! Let's get a little closer."

The two went over to a spot where they could see the heart. Emilia imagined a flame in her hand, and Puck amplified the fire until it was the size of a firepit. She aimed for the heart, and shouted, "Ul Goa!"

The flames engulfed the heart, and everyone watched as the charred flesh began to beat slowly and irregularly.

Capella's mind began to turn to dust in the hands of the Riftas spell, and Subaru finally released his grasp. Her soul filled the dragon once more, but the dragon without a heart and most of its blood was a frail thing indeed.

Capella, with the last of her strength, could only manage an ember no larger than a speck of ash. She weakly cried out, "THIS...this...was not as the Gospel predicted...I should have been able...to kill you all..."

She exhaled her last breath as the heart finally collapsed into small piles of burnt flesh. Relief descended upon the worn-out group, with the exception of one person.

Subaru was losing his quasi spirits. They willingly gave over half of their od to ensure Capella's demise, and they were no longer stable enough to continue existing as they were. That coupled with channeling entirely unknown magic, meant they were on the verge of ceasing to exist at all.

He plead with them, "No, please! Maybe you can still exist by joining me, I'll find a pyroxene crystal so you three can rest and heal!"

Before he could say anything else, Beatrice appeared before him, and tugged on his sleeve. She extended her hand out to him.

"Betty can hear the pain of your spirits...there is nothing we can do now for them. But, if you want, I can at least put them at ease...they can go quietly instead of painfully."

His eyes widened, but the tears continued to flow. "Th-there really isn't anything we can do to save them?"

She closed her eyes. "No, I suppose. I'll give them the rest they deserve."

White light surrounded her, and the spirits' pain faded. They quietly gave their contractor feelings of gratitude, and faded from existence. She took his hand, and deleted the remaining pieces of the defunct contracts. He was no longer shackled, and supported, by the spiritual contracts.

He lowered his head, mourning the loss of his spirits. They had been with him for over a year, and he found them with Julius' help. They had started as lesser spirits, but quickly grew into quasi spirits thanks to Subaru's unbelievably high spirit affinity boosting their strength.

He felt Beatrice pull his hand. He looked at her, and she had a cautiously optimistic look in her eyes.

She shakily said, "You are much different than I thought you'd be...a spiritualist with unparalleled affinity, and capable of making even normal spirits powerful. Not only that, but you also have the capacity to create new spells, and you have the ability to forgive and redeem someone who meant you harm. I wonder...if maybe Betty has been waiting for you, this whole time?"

His eyes went wide. He thought, _Waiting for me? What does she mean?_

She continued, "For four hundred years, I've been waiting for someone I could entrust with the Forbidden Archive...and myself. Will you...form a new contract with me?"

He couldn't believe what he was hearing. A Great Spirit like Beatrice, offering him a contract? He was still devastated by the loss of his spirits, but he couldn't be a spirit arts user without a spirit, and what could be better than a Great Spirit?

He told her, "I-I will accept. I'll form a contract with you."

For the first time in four hundred years, a real smile appeared on her face. Finally, she could complete her contract for watching over the Archive, and she could contract with someone who might even be worthy of her power and skill. She thought maybe she should just hand off the library and die, but this boy, this Subaru, could he give her life meaning again?

The light faded, signalling the contract's completion. She collected herself together, and began explaining the contract.

"There are a few things you need to know. First, I'm what you might call an artificial spirit; I will explain that later. Second, because I'm an artificial spirit, my mana absorption rate is abysmal compared to a natural spirit, so I'll be relying on your mana a lot. I can continue to collect using the Forbidden Archive, which also functions as a mana repository, but I will likely need to absorb some from you every day. While it will put a little hamper on our ability to use magic, your mana reserve is adequate enough that you should be able to use a good amount of arts, at least comparable to what your quasi spirits could handle. As we become better attuned, we should be able to cast more and more as your ability to store mana increases."

He was astounded by her look of joy. The others, minus Elsa, had noticed the commotion between them and came over to investigate, finding Beatrice looking happier than any of them had ever witnessed. Emilia felt the smallest pang of...something...within her, as Beatrice looked joyously into Subaru's eyes.

Meanwhile, a deranged woman was joyously cradling the fresh guts of a slain dragon. Totally oblivious to the interactions of the others, Elsa whispered to the strewn intestines around her.

"Beautiful...I've never experienced such warmth and joy in my life. To think, if I had killed the elf and the knight, I never could have done this. I never thought I'd see the day Mama...no, Capella would lie dead at my feet. Ha. Hahaha! I'm free from the experiments, the punishments...as well as her...Meili-chan will never be punished, ever again."

Elsa thought back to her time with Meili. She remembered finding the feral girl, cared for by mabeasts. Elsa had been the first person to willingly interact with her; something about her awoke a feeling of sympathy, and even understanding. She herself was abandoned and left for dead, and turned to violence to protect herself. This girl was left to the beasts, but they seemed to take pity on her and made her part of the pack.

She had intended to offer the feral girl a place to stay, a home, away from the wilderness. Maybe she could be the younger sister she wanted when she was banished from home. But, like always, Mama showed up, and ruined everything, just like how she always ruined everything. Elsa was probably the most talented actress the world had ever seen, to be able to hide her seething anger so well, to fool the Archbishop of Lust herself. Instead of giving the girl a place to live, Mama tore the girl away from her mabeasts, and drilled language and obedience into her. Somehow, she managed to retain a few elements that made her human: her feelings toward the mabeasts she could control, her admiration of Elsa, and her extreme inferiority complex that developed after enduring multiple horrible tortures: Knives in places they didn't belong, separating her consciousness into a hundred frogs, and even just straight up smashing her small, fragile body apart.

Elsa hated Capella already for lying to her in the beginning, promising a safe place away from the streets, just to be used for experiments and killing. She loved to kill, but she also hated to kill thanks to Capella. It was her only skill, and Capella ensured it would always be her only skill. When she witnessed what happened to Meili, she could only hate her further and further. It drove her to procure a yang-enchanted blade under her nose, to not kill Subaru after he arrested Meili, and finally to join him in defeating the most detestable being she'd ever had the displeasure of knowing.

She took out all of her knives, and plunged each one into the corpse. She stood up to see all the others had turned around at the sound of her stabs. One of Capella's experiments resulted in Elsa being immune to her cursed blood, which she obviously never thought could be used against her one day. As a result, all of the blood covering Elsa merely slid off like water on wax paper. She walked over to Subaru, as the others moved behind him. He complained, "Oh, come on, some of you are stronger than I am!"

Elsa wore the smile she usually did...but it seemed more genuine than not. She said to him, "Sir Subaru, wonderful job. It seems you've managed to put me in your debt for defeating this detested employer of mine. For that, I'd like to thank you, and to repay my debt immediately."

He tilted his head. "Immediately? Um...what did you have in mind?"

She laughed just a little. "Oh, you don't need to be so afraid of me, handsome. For starters, I won't ever try to kill you or your friends, and I'll refuse anyone who asks for a contract for such a job. My second deed...well, I'll tell you another time. It'll be a secret."

Before he could question it, she spoke again. "By the way, about Meili...I'd like to go down and speak with her. I hope you could find it in your heart to forgive her. After all, she feared what Capella would do if she refused."

Subaru nodded, and walked with her, Emilia, and Beatrice into the manor and into the dungeon.

Meili looked up, and jumped up at the sight of Elsa. "Elsa-chan! How did you convince the knight and elf-lady to let you visit like this?"

Elsa knelt down a little to be at Meili's height. She told her in what was probably the most motherly tone she could manage, "Meili-chan. It's over. Mama...she's dead. You never have to worry about her again. You won't be punished for what happened."

Meili's eyes went wide, and tears formed at the corners. She could barely speak as her throat felt all choked up. "M-M-Mama is...d-dead? I-I-I won't...g-get hurt?"

Elsa reached her hand through the bar, holding the young girl's shoulder. "That's right, I promise. I also want to ask you one thing."

The younger girl nodded her head. "O-Okay…"

"Meili. Please stay here, with these people. I'll still visit you once in a while, but I can't take care of you like they can. I'm...well, just stay here."

She looked at Elsa in shock. However, she didn't question it. She simply nodded again.

Elsa turned back around to face Subaru. "Sorry for springing this on you...but surely you won't mind? She could use some...ahem, better role models. She doesn't need to follow in my footsteps. All I can be is a killer, you see. Meili, though, she still has time."

Subaru looked at Emilia, and she smiled at him. He turned back to Elsa and nodded with a smile, saying, "Of course. We'll do what we can for her."

Elsa brought herself right up to Subaru's face, turning his face red, and making Emilia pout. "Thank you for that. I would've been really upset if you refused. You are quite the man, able to sway the heart of a madwoman like I...but, I must take my leave now. I've got a new...business to set up. I must keep a roof over my head, you see."

No one had a chance to react before she gave Subaru a big kiss on the cheek and jumped into the shadows, laughing like a maniac. Everyone in the room, Meili included, was stunned by Elsa's insane boldness. A red faced Emilia grabbed Subaru by the wrist and spun him around to face her.

"B-Baru-tan! What do you think you're doing, letting a woman like that flirt with you and kiss you! I-I thought...erk, no, nevermind. B-But! That's rude, allowing that to happen in front of your lady! Do you have no consideration for how I'd feel about that?"

Emilia's face turned even redder when she realized the implication of what she'd just said. The newest member of their household started laughing and said, "Oooh! Elf-lady is in loooove with the knight guy! Knight guy-I mean, um, Sir Subaru? Do you love her too, more than Elsa-chan?"

Emilia lightly shoved Subaru away, and held her hands on her head. "Ugh! I-I just can't right now! Subaru-I mean, Baru-tan, just...come see me after dinner, okay? I need some time!"

She speed-walked away, slamming the dungeon door as she went through it. Red-baru could only stare with his jaw hanging out. Beatrice could be heard to faintly giggle. She grabbed his sleeve, getting his attention.

"This has been very entertaining, I suppose. I didn't make the wrong choice offering to contract with you. So, you'll be taking care of the assassin's friend? Or was it her sister? We should get a room ready. The dungeon doesn't seem like a good place for her to live if we're taking care of her."

Subaru calmed down as she got his mind back on track. He looked at Meili, and she was watching in anticipation. "Alright, Meili. I think we'll start by getting you into a guest room. I'm sure the lord won't mind when we explain you were forced to do what you did by Capella. Once you've had time to settle in, we can talk some more about your past. We'll also make sure you get caught up on your education. Okay?"

She tilted her head, but she smiled and nodded. "Okay, Sir Knight, um, Subaru."

Subaru and Beatrice began to leave the dungeon, when Beatrice stopped him. "Subaru, the other day you said you wanted to learn more about my "door trick". Well, I'm about to show you now how it's done."

The dungeon door glowed, and then returned to normal. When he opened the door, it led to the Forbidden Archive. He closed the door behind him when they entered. She turned around with a smug smile on her face.

"What you just witnessed was my Door Crossing, in fact. It's a special type of yin magic, similar to Shamac, that only I know how to use. I can connect any two closed doors across space, I suppose. And now, for an even bigger display."

She made the door glow again, and she invited him to open it up again. He opened it up, to find himself exiting the closet door in his personal quarters. The door didn't match up with the Forbidden Archive's at all, yet the transition was still seamless! It seems Beatrice wasn't lying when she said _any_ two doors.

She followed behind Subaru as he went back into his room. She proudly told him, "As my contractor, you now have the ability to use Door Crossing as well. While it does cost some mana to use, I'm extremely efficient with its use, so as long as you aren't using it constantly throughout the day it won't affect me much. I think even if you used it to go directly to all your meals it would be fine. I'll just warn you if my daily mana is getting low. For now, I'll keep the library linked to your closet, I suppose. This way I can always be near you in case of an emergency."

He asked, "But, what about the clothes in the closet? I might need to get in there, you know!"

She shook her head. "You can choose whether to open the closet door or the Forbidden Archive's door. Just think about which one you want to get into when you open it. Just always close it when you're finished so I can get to your room as necessary, I suppose."

With that, Beatrice walked back into the archive. Subaru decided to sit on his couch for a while to think about what he was going to say to Emilia. He did really like her, but to hear her make that sort of statement...he hoped that he could smooth things over, and assure her that he really liked her. As he sat on the couch, the closet opened back up, and Beatrice came out with a small stack of books. She walked over to the small seating area, laid her books down on the coffee table, and sat down on an adjacent sofa.

He looked at her and said, "Oh, hi again, Beako. I thought you were going to go back into the archive."

She looked over at him. Amazingly, the annoyed look that usually adorned her face when he called her Beako was no longer present; she merely appeared confused.

"Betty did go back into the archive, to get some of her favorite books, as well as a few books her contractor could use concerning yin magic. I wonder, did you think I was just going to stuff myself back in there during the day? I have a contractor now, so I don't need to stay locked up in there all day, I suppose. I'll only go in there at night to sleep, or if I need to retrieve a few books."

She paused for a moment, and then spoke again. "I see that you still prefer that nickname you came up with, I suppose. Betty's contractor can refer to her by a cute nickname, if he insists. Here are a few books that talk about various applications of yin magic, inside and outside of battle. I told you about the 9 main spells, but yin in particular has many uses besides its combat potential. After you've had a chance to get that girl a guest room, you should come back and read with me. I can explain anything you don't understand."

Through simply becoming her contractor, it seemed Beatrice's opinion of Subaru had improved astronomically. She accepted her nickname, and was now offering to be the yin tutor he'd needed for quite some time. He smiled at the little blonde spirit, got up and went to hug her, causing her to blush slightly.

"Thanks, Beako. We're going to be a great contractor and spirit duo!"

She quietly responded, "Y-You're welcome, I suppose. I would expect no less from the team that took down a particularly nasty Sin Archbishop."

With that, he went to go arrange a guest room for Meili so she wouldn't have to stay in that dim, dank dungeon any longer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! Thank you all so much for reading! I wanted to make an announcement. This is the end of Arc 2, generally speaking. I am going to write 2 more chapters, sort of as in between arc stories of Subaru, Emilia, and everyone else at the mansion before the Royal Selection's first main event. After I put these chapters out, I'm going to take a 2-3 month hiatus while I plan out Arc 3 and most of Arc 4. I never imagined I'd get through 2 entire arcs, and I'm unbelievably happy about it!
> 
> I'd like to thank the same anonymous editors as my last chapters, and I'd also like to thank all of you who are following and enjoying my story. Please leave me suggestions if there's anything you'd like to see. I'm also happy to answer questions about how these characters differ from their canon counterparts, and which parts are the same.


	12. Arc 2 Epilogue: His New Family

Arc 2 Epilogue: His New Family

Rem was surprisingly happy to help Subaru prepare a room for Meili. He felt it was likely because she didn't have to witness the battle in the forest, and had instead merely heard about it. All they had to do was get Roswaal's approval; they needed to find him anyway to have him explain why he didn't bother to join the fight against Capella.

The two went to his office and found Emilia there as well. Evidently, she was also upset by Roswaal's absence in the fight. She was certainly happy that her knight was strong enough to defeat their monstrous foe, but she also felt like her benefactor could have stepped in, too.

The three opened the door to his office and found Roswaal sitting on a chair overlooking Ram, who laid unconscious on a couch. Subaru and Rem felt silent at the sight, leaving Emilia to question the Margrave on her own.

He greeted the trio with, "Well, he~llo, Lady Emilia, Sir Subaru, Rem. How might I be of assistance?"

Emilia looked upon Ram with a hint of sadness before facing Roswaal with a disappointed expression. "Roswaal. Rem searched for you to obtain your assistance in defeating the Archbishop of Lust. Rem couldn't find you, and we came close to dying in that fight." Narrowing her eyes, she asked, "Where were you?"

Roswaal closed his eyes for a moment before he responded. "Ah, I was afra~id you might ask. It was a tri~cky situation, you see. I felt Ram go down in the battle, and I had to check and make sure she was o~okay. I had e~very confidence that our knight here was capable of handling the situation. I was not wrong, was I?"

Subaru flinched, as he knew that he and everyone else had died twice before Satella had given him the wisdom needed to overcome Capella. How could Roswaal have been so certain? Had it not been for Subaru's Return by Death ability, they'd all be dead, and all would have been lost. The worst part was, he couldn't even tell Roswaal that, because of the curse accompanying Return by Death.

He said to Roswaal, "Lord Roswaal, while I appreciate your faith in my abilities, I agree with Lady Emilia, the fight could have been more in our favor with your help; you _are_ the strongest mage in Lugnica, after all."

Rem was too focused on her sister to say anything.

Roswaal replied, "You fla~tter me, Sir Subaru. Just believe me when I sa~y that I knew you would come out on top in the end. I did not wish to aba~ndon Ram here; she was badly in need of mana."

The group collectively sighed. Emilia turned away and said, "I guess I'll just have to accept this answer, then. Subaru...you'll still come see me after dinner, right?"

He nodded his head, and Emilia calmly left the office. Roswaal had rather unsatisfactorily answered their question, so he hoped that the margrave would at least grant permission for a room for Meili.

To his surprise, Rem spoke first. "Lord Roswaal, the girl who we captured in the forest was being forced to work for Capella. I humbly request that she be allowed to stay here in a guest room. Sir Subaru is in favor of this action, as well."

Roswaal gave a strange smile as he answered, "If Sir Subaru believes this is a good course of action, I will appro~ve as his lord. I intend to support his endeavors, so long as they will not detract from our camp's o~verall position. This conflict has pro~ven that he has the capability to be one of our faction's lea~ders, dear Rem."

Subaru was surprised by Roswaal's words. Sensing his confusion, Roswaal clarified, "Fro~m now on, Sir Subaru, I am entrusting you with the dire~ction of our camp. We will have our stra~tegy meetings every week, and I will be here to help advi~se you on political matters. I imagine you will want to recruit help, so you have permi~ssion to hire up to six supports, a mix of knights or other support staff, in order to bolster our might. I will also provide you with a pay raise, and make you not only Lady Emi~lia's personal knight, but also Knight Commander of the Mathers Domai~n."

Rem turned around with a big smile on her face and said, "Sir Subaru! You're going to be the Knight Commander! You deserve it after defeating that nasty Archbishop!"

Subaru felt overwhelmed. In only two years, he'd gone from a nobody discovered by a noble, to an esteemed Knight Commander. He may not be as important as the Royal Knight Commander, but he never felt he'd be able to achieve a title that high anyway, not unless Emilia is crowned.

With that surprise, Subaru and Rem left to go find a suitable room for Meili. He decided that she should have a guest room on the same level as his great room, and Rem happily obliged by picking out a room right across the hall from him. It was a smaller guest room, with a bed, desk, dressing table, and a comfortable reading chair. It was also a rear facing room, like Emilia's, with a nice view of the forest behind the mansion.

Rem said to Subaru, "I'll prepare fresh sheets and get some basic learning books for her. You go ahead and let Meili know of the good news. If you see Flora, let her know what I'm doing." She smiled, and waved as he left to go back to Meili in the dungeon.

On his way to the dungeon, he did find Flora, and informed her of what Rem was working on. Flora said she would prepare dinner since Rem was getting a new guest room ready on short notice, and he continued on to the dungeon. When he arrived, he found Meili waiting, with a mix of nervousness and hope on her face.

"Sir Subaru? Do I get to stay in a nice room instead of here~?" She couldn't have sounded more innocent, but he could tell by the look in her eyes that she wanted nothing more than to be out of the cell. He couldn't blame her for feeling that way.

He smiled as warmly as he could for her. "Yeah, the maids are getting a room ready for you. Also, you don't have to call me Sir Subaru. You can just call me Subaru, because we're going to be friends from now on, ok?"

She tilted her head. "Friends? What is a 'friend'?"

He flinched at the not-totally-unexpected question. _Yeah, I should've seen this one coming,_ he thought.

He reassured her, "We have a lot to talk about, Meili. Just know that we're going to be your new family. And your, um, sister will even be able to drop by from time to time too. Dinner is being made right now, too. Why don't you come up to my room while we wait for dinner? After we eat, your room should be ready!"

She perked up at the thought of dinner. "Well, okay Si- Subaru. I hope you don't expect me to be like Elsa-chan, though! I'm not old enough for that, she says!"

He stammered, "N-No! Of course not! That's not how families work! Boy oh boy do we have a lot we need to teach you."

He opened up the cage and beckoned her out. He offered her his hand, and she cautiously accepted it. He walked with her out of the dungeon and up to his room. The two made it back up to his room, and found Beatrice waiting.

She looked at the two of them and said, "So, you're bringing a girl here who looks to be my physical age and size. Are you trying to start a daycare here or something? Because I want no part of it, I suppose. Maybe you can convince Bubby's contractor to help you instead."

He shook his head, and Meili explained, "Bro says a maid is getting a room ready, so I juuust came here to wait for dinner! Are you his daughter~?"

Subaru interrupted, "Wait, where did 'Bro' come from?"

Beatrice ignored his comment and complained, "I am NOT his daughter, in fact! I am hundreds of years older than either of you, and I'm his contracted spirit! The closest analogy would be that I'm his older sister, I suppose."

He chuckled and sat down, prompting Meili to take a seat next to him. She still needed time to acclimate to her new surroundings, and while she was willing to try and trust him, she was still uneasy around others. She was half-focused as Subaru and Beatrice were talking, and she heard many words she didn't understand, and so she leaned back and watched the ceiling. She stared up until a knock came at the door, which caught her attention.

From the other side, Flora called out, "Sir Subaru, dinner will be ready in five minutes! You should come down and get settled in."

With that, Subaru walked with Meili and Beatrice down to the dining hall. Meili grabbed onto his hand once again, prompting an annoyed Beatrice to take his other hand out of jealousy. She thought, _What does this girl think she's doing, trying to act all cutesy with my contractor? I'm the one who gets to be cutesy, in fact!_

They walked into the dining hall to find Emilia in her usual seat, with a now-conscious Ram seated right next to her. Subaru wisely made no comment and let Beatrice drag him over to the other side to sit by her. Meili sat on Subaru's other side, unwilling to sit anywhere else. He found himself wedged between two girls wanting his attention for various things, seated across from Ram who could only huff at his 'misfortune', with Emilia just looking down at her plate, refusing to look up. Flora and Rem brought out dinner: beef, various vegetables and fruits, and a sweets plate.

Subaru helped Meili pick out a balanced plate, awarding her with some sweets for her good behavior. He then also awarded Beatrice with sweets for good behavior, after noticing her pouting. Rem and Flora smiled as they watched Subaru goofing around trying to make a girl and a spirit that acted like a girl happy.

Dinner wrapped up, and Subaru got up with his two attention-hogging girls, who were now alternating between making fun of the other and asking Subaru questions. As he got ready to leave, he felt a tap on his shoulder, and turned around to see Emilia shyly looking past him.

She quietly said, "Sorry for not talking, Baru-tan. Can you come see me in about fifteen minutes?"

He nodded, and she left to go back to her room. As she walked away, Meili caught his attention by tugging his arm. She quietly said, "Bro, I think elf-lady might like you, too~."

Beatrice stared at Meili with an annoyed look and said, "Do you have to point it out like that? I know he's hopeless, but leave those sorts of things to me, I suppose."

With a long-suffering sigh, he said, "Thanks for the support, Beako..."

Rem caught up with the trio and said, "Miss Meili, your room is ready. If you all will follow me, I'll show it to you." She smiled as she gestured ahead, and turned to walk.

Meili continued to keep a hold on Subaru's hand, much to his embarrassment. He understood, though, that she was still a little unsure of everything and was looking to him for safety and support. They arrived at her room, and she immediately noticed it was right across from his great room.

She looked up at him and asked, "You got a room for me right by your room?"

He smiled and replied, "Yup! In fact, it was Rem's idea. We thought you might feel more comfortable if you were near me. If you ever need anything and I'm in my room, you can just come visit me! How does that sound?"

She smiled a bit and answered, "Well~, I guess that works! Thanks, bro. I think I want to go to sleep...can I see you in the morning?"

He nodded and reassured her, "You can see me in the morning, and if something happens in the night and you're feeling nervous, you can wake me up if you need to."

She finally let go of his hand, and walked into her new room, not bothering to close the door, so Rem closed the door for her. Rem looked at Subaru and told him, "It looks like I'm going to have my hands full, since I'll be in charge of keeping your room and her room clean. Don't worry, though! I'll do my best for both of you!"

He smiled back at her and said, "I'm totally sure of it! If anyone can do it, it's you, Rem. Thank you for your willingness to do this."

She smiled wide and gave him a hug. She said as she held him, "Thank you, Subaru-kun. It looks like soon, everyone's going to be your brother or sister around here."

She let go of him and then corrected herself, "Well, almost everyone. I know there's one lady here you aren't looking to make into your sister."

She winked, and his face flushed just a little. "Don't worry, Subaru-kun. I think you and Lady Emilia look very cute together. Rem wishes you the best in your endeavor."

She turned around and left Subaru with Beatrice, who was still holding his hand. He looked down to see her smiling smugly, having successfully held on to her contractor. She looked up at him and said, "Well come on, I suppose. I only have ten minutes until you're supposed to go see your precious girlfriend. Just remember that Betty is the cutest, in fact."

The contractor and spirit duo talked about yin magic for a little while, and then Subaru left to go see Emilia. He promised Beatrice that he'd come back after talking to her, and the spirit said she'd be waiting for him.

He made his way down the large corridor. He noticed Flora beside Emilia's door as he approached, and went to chat with her for a bit.

"Sir Subaru, I hope you're well. I haven't had a chance to congratulate you on defeating Capella. I was really worried, and I could only watch from the mansion as you fought valiantly. Have you had a chance to relax yet? I could bring some lemonade up in a little while so you can really calm your nerves down." She smiled as she spoke with who would be her long-term master.

He smiled in turn as he agreed, "That'd be wonderful, Flora. Make sure there's plenty for Emilia and me, she really enjoys it!"

She smiled and gestured toward the door. He knocked on the door, and he heard Emilia's lovely voice call out, "Come on in!"

He opened the door to find Emilia wearing her nightgown, seated on her large sofa. He closed the door behind him, and made his way over. He telegraphed that he would sit on an adjacent chair, but Emilia patted the seat next to her, beckoning him to sit by her; thus, he sat by her like she wanted.

They sat silently for a moment, before Emilia finally made the first move. She gently grabbed his arm, and pulled herself against him. She timidly said, "Thanks for coming here, Baru-tan. I'm sorry about earlier. I-I wasn't really sure what I was saying. I'm still, um, not sure, really. I was just, well-"

He gently cut her off by putting his finger against her mouth. She blushed a little, and she turned to face him.

He said, "It's ok, Emilia-tan. I think I know what you're getting at. If it's ok, though, I'd like to tell you something first."

She nodded, and he took his finger off her mouth. He prepared to deliver a confession that had slowly been building within him since the day he became her personal knight.

"Emilia-tan...I hope this isn't inappropriate of me as your knight, but I've grown to really, really like you. You're just so kind and gentle, it's like you don't have a mean bone in your body! You also try so hard to be dependable for everyone else. I really admire your dedication to becoming the next Queen, and when you came running to save me earlier, I was happy beyond belief."

He paused for a moment to let Emilia absorb what he was saying, and her eyes seemed to sparkle as she understood.

He continued, "I know I haven't known you for very long, but I can't even imagine not being around you anymore. That might just be the craziest thing I've ever said, but it's the truth. As long as I'm around, I want you to be a part of my life. I-I'm not sure how else to say it, but I hope that you understand now."

She blinked, releasing a tear down her cheek. First, he had sworn to be her knight, and she'd cried in joy. Then, he also swore that he would publicly support her, no matter what, and she also cried in joy. And now, finally, he told her that he wants her to be a part of the rest of his life.

The emotions flooding through her were overwhelming. She'd never felt this way about anyone that she could recall. She felt like she wanted to be held by him, and for him to never let go. She realized that she was so upset by Elsa's action earlier because she feared a woman like her might try to take her knight away from her. She couldn't bear the thought of losing the only person to hold her tightly when she needed it the most. She couldn't lose him, not...

"...my Subaru."

He perked up, and said excitedly but still quietly, "Does Emilia-tan claim me as hers now? I know I'm your knight and all but-"

She smiled as she put her finger on his lip to cut him off. "You aren't simply my knight, Baru-tan. If you were just my knight, I probably wouldn't see you more than once a day. Instead, we eat our meals together, go on afternoon walks, and we even fight side by side. No, I don't think you're my knight. You're my partner, that's what you are. My caring, daring, incredible partner. You're my Subaru, my Baru-tan, a-and I want you to always be a part of my life, too. I-I wish I knew a better way to put it...but, that's how I feel."

His mouth was hanging so low it might as well be directly in his lap. She giggled a little as she took her finger back, and then she surprised him further by pulling his body down onto herself, cradling him in her arms like he had cradled her several nights ago. His face turned beet red, as she looked adoringly down at him.

"Eh? E-Emilia-tan? I'm not gonna say I'm unhappy with this, but why are you doing this for me?" He was confused, but also very accepting of the situation.

She kept smiling as she answered, "Well, I remember how calm I felt after my nightmare when you did this for me, so I want to help you calm down from that awful fight by doing this for you."

She gently stroked his hair, and she could feel the tension melting out of him as he became totally relaxed. She felt a foreign, warm feeling within her as she gazed down at him, and she felt compelled to do...something. She just didn't know what that was. Stroking his hair didn't seem to be the right answer, and simply just looking at him wasn't it either. She realized that her gaze was fixated upon his lips, and began to think that may have something to do with how she felt.

She thought, _Is this what it feels like...to want to kiss someone? But, I can't do that, not yet...I'm not ready to start a family! Even if Subaru is a good guy, and capable...no, I have to focus on the Royal Selection. Puck said kissing can make me pregnant...but, maybe it's ok if it isn't lip to lip?_

She leaned down, and Subaru's eyes widened. He realized, though, she wasn't aiming for his lips, so he laid back as she planted a kiss on his forehead. While he was slightly disappointed to not get a big kiss on the lips, he was still happy that she felt strongly enough to do that. However, he was shocked when she began to explain herself.

"Sorry, Baru-tan. I-I think I really like you, too, but I'm not ready for that added responsibility yet. I mean, I still have to go through the Royal Selection, you know? It's, um, too early for that. But, maybe after the Selection is over, I-I think I would be ok with it. You're ok with waiting until then, right?"

He was confused. _She can't handle the responsibility of a relationship yet? Maybe I should make sure that's what she means, because that explanation gave me some weird vibes._

He awkwardly asked, "I-I think I understand, Emilia-tan, but do you really think you wouldn't want a relationship with me until after the selection is over? I don't mind pretending we're just a knight and liege in public, you know."

She tilted her head, also confused. "No, no, that's not what I mean. I'd be happy to have you court me, if I understand what you mean by 'a relationship' correctly. I mean, I'm not ready for a family yet. You understand that, surely?"

Relieved, he answered, "Oh, of course! Haha, you had me worried for a little bit, Emilia-tan. I'm not ready for a family yet either! Yeah, let's wait until after the Royal Selection to talk about that."

The awkward couple kept their positions in silence, as Emilia slowly continued to stroke her now-suitor's hair. They both couldn't help but to chuckle just a little bit at how silly they both felt, but both were genuinely happy that the other felt as strongly as they did.

A knock came at the door, and Subaru recognized it at Flora's knock. He sat up from his position on Emilia's lap, and said in unison with her, "Come in!"

They chuckled at each other as Flora entered the room with lemonade. With a smile, she set two glasses and a large pitcher down on the table in front of them. She also noticed the two both had slightly pink faces, and she started to feel like she might've interrupted something.

She excused herself in a slightly hurried fashion. "Oh, I should go check on our newest resident! I'm certain Rem has done an excellent job of taking care of her, but I'm going to double check just to be safe! I'll be back later to collect the drinkware!"

The two looked confused as she grinned while leaving the room. They decided that since she wanted him to court her now, it was only right they started talking to each other about their pasts. Subaru was still too reluctant to talk about Japan, so he started with his time with Julius in the capital. She told him about how Puck woke her up in the Elior Forest, and the frozen elves. He made some vague allusions to his parents and how much he missed them, never quite saying why he couldn't see them again.

Two hours and a pitcher of lemonade later, they were both ready to go to sleep. The day had been extraordinarily hard on everyone, and even the maids were planning on retiring to bed early on Roswaal's suggestion. Emilia got up with Subaru to walk him to the door, holding onto his arm. As they approached the door, he suddenly swung around to face her, holding both of her shoulders.

He smiled and told her, "My turn."

He pulled her in close, and planted a kiss on her forehead. He thought, _Maybe she wasn't ready for a real kiss, but at least I can return what she did._

She blushed, but she smiled as he pulled away. She then pulled him into a hug, and said, "Thank you, Baru-tan. Don't be late for breakfast tomorrow, all right?"

She let go, and gave him a devious wink as she smiled. He smiled and chuckled at this new teasing side of Emilia that seems to have emerged.

"Don't worry, Emilia-tan, I won't be late even if the entire world tries to stop me!"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for following along with the story! Sometime within the next two weeks I plan to release an interim story showcasing an average day within the Roswaal Manor. I also have plans for an EX chapter where Subaru joins another camp instead, so keep your eyes out. I intend to start Arc 3 sometime in late April or May. If I end up abandoning the story, which I don't plan to, I will update to say that I've abandoned it.


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